Of Love
by AnnoyingCatBanquet
Summary: Ayysa Darkmoon has been cursed to have a lifespan of fifty years; a devastating reality for an elf expected to see centuries upon centuries of sunrises. At a crossroads and feeling as though her life has come to a stop, she finds herself being kidnapped by a rather unusual character; a troll.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: Hi everyone! I decided to post my other WoW fanfic on here. If you haven't read Of War, the ending to this one may be confusing, but please check both out! This one is finished in writing, it just needs to be published; Of War is still finishing up it's story too so they will both sort of fit together that way. I hope you guys check both out and enjoy it! While I haven't read through these in a while, I'm happy to continue the story; this one is actually a year old so I will be publishing chapters as often as I can. That being said, the way it plays out is already set in stone! :) So... Yeah! Have fun!**

Prologue

"Cursed?" Ayysa Darkmoon cried into the dark night. "What do you mean I've been cursed?" she screamed into the void. She had only been following her orders; go into the demon's lair and find out what had been causing the recent storms. She'd found the corrupted creature, but what she hadn't planned on was the mistress; a succubus kissed by far too much of Mannoroth's blood. She had read that in history, Mannoroth's blood was the reason for the corruption of the orcs. It was said to drive creatures crazed with blood shed. And while demons were said to arise from his blood alone, she'd never seen a cannibalistic demon that had drank her father's blood and become the creature that stood before her now.

She knew that succubae where very dangerous when it came to women; they grew jealous and were prone to kill on the spot. These particular demons also happened to be a favorite of the demon lords and were normally found to be mistresses. This particular one, she recognized, was not only furious, but clever. "Kaldorei, Child of the Moon, Night Elf." She spat. "You're lifespan can last to see centuries turn, but how will you feel once I've whittled it away?" A purple light had rushed in her direction from where she'd last seen the succubus; it had only recently turned so dark.

Ayysa threw one of her small daggers in the direction that the light had come. From what she gathered, she'd missed. Surely, taking down the lord that had resided in this cave had been quite a feat, but having to deal with an angered mistress seemed to be an even harder one when she considered her exhaustion. But she knew something was wrong; why would the creature go so far as to curse her if she were to kill the night elf anyways? _Because she knows she cannot beat me... It is a losing match for her..._ She realized with a start.

The creature tackled her. "How does only fifty years sound little elf?" Before Ayysa could scream in protest, the creature jabbed her sharp nails into the night elf's stomach and screeched as the monster seemed to physically reduced her lifespan. _She could take all of them, but she won't. She wants me to suffer long after she's dead. That's what succubae do..._ She screamed as she brought her dagger down upon the creature's head. It stumbled back and laughed on last final remark. "Too late elf. You're just as good as any young-blood."

As it stumbled to the ground, Ayysa noticed the light of the cave exit. She slid down the cold, uneven cave wall and held the spot where the succubus had hit. Had the creature really had the ability to drain the years one had left physically? She had no reason to lie. And she had no reason to not kill the elf right away. Tears welled in her eyes; this elf had no more than fifty years left to live. Out of all the elves that wanted to keep their long lifespans, she was most definitely the one who wanted to maintain it the most. "No..." she cried, knowing her fate was sealed.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Her recent encounter with a shortened morality had placed the young kaldorei in a state of depression for quite some time. And despite her being a warrior she'd always been somewhat shy, so her silence only made things worse. She told her sisters at the Temple of Elune what troubles the young warrior had come by, but they shook their heads sadly. "There is nothing we can do for you, brave one." The years she'd lost were ones she could never again reclaim.

Ayysa had not been born immortal as some night elves had, however she'd always been fond of the idea. Being immortal meant there was more time and that meant more time to work. What she loved the most was being able to reach the end of a gorgeous story; and the one between the Alliance and the Horde was not one she felt ready to give up on. But fifty years was by no means enough time to see this war come to a complete close nor to see her people get back their immortality, though other doubted that would ever happen again.

The young night elf counted her days, but knew that she needed to find a way to impact her people and the Alliance in anyway possible. This was how she found herself helping Gilnean refugees. The worgen were mistreated and misunderstood, and many of them had decided to stay in Darnassus during their introductory period. After all, the night elves had been the ones to create the curse that allowed them to shape into their wolf-like forms. It was with this realization that they recognized them as Elune's children and understood that they were responsible for them.

Ayysa had not been one to care about such matters, but she did recognize the importance of taking care of the worgen. That was how she met Corey Langley, a young worgen physically around her age that had grown very attached to her. The two would share moonberry juice every now and again, but romance had slightly blossomed between the two. Ayysa found that she liked this man. When he was in his human form, after many tries of practicing, he had long black hair and kind green eyes. And when he was in his worgen form, she couldn't help but laugh at the incredible faces he would make.

For a short while, she felt that when she was with him she could forget her own morality and just enjoy the moment. And for a short while, it was almost as though it didn't matter that she wouldn't live alongside her fellow elves for the centuries to come. Perhaps age and dying was not such a bad thing; although she would never admit it. Not to mention that there was still a part of her that desperately wanted her years back; the ones the succubus had stolen from her.

Ayysa was sitting on one of the thick branches the Teldrassil provided as she waited for her dear friend to come and visit. Once Corey arrived, she offered him a swing of moonberry juice, but he refused. "We must speak." Ayysa was a pale purple night elf with long white hair and purple tips at the end, so most of her shined in the moonlight. Perhaps that was why Corey, a child of the moon, was so drawn to her. Her silver eyes stared at him, the butterfly shaped tattoo outlining them; the Wings tattoo.

Smiling, she stared at him awaiting his news. "Ayysa, I am leaving for Darkshore in the morning." The Langley boy started slowly, although Ayysa did not react. "There I am to meet with other members of my kind and we are to help others control their curse so that they may live full lives... Ayysa, if it weren't for you, I would never have been able to control the curse that haunts me." It was true; while she was originally a warrior, for the last year since her incident, she'd been helping the priests in any way she could. Corey just so happened to be her favorite student.

"I know we hardly speak of it, but I know of your curse and I wish I could help you..." he hesitantly continued, seeing a pang rush through her silver orbs. "But this doesn't mean that I can't help you. Ayysa, I know that your culture does not often host marriages... And I know that we have not know each other for very long but... But if you agree to marry me, I promise you that I shall make you a happy woman for the rest of your days." While Ayysa knew that her culture traditionally chose companions for life, she'd never had the experience of having one. And now that her life was shortened, she felt as though there wasn't much of a choice. Even if Corey was a worgen, he was a child of the moon, just as she, and he was of the Alliance. And it wasn't as though none of the other elves in Darnassus had seen the bond between them growing. Knowing her days were numbered, the shy night elf hugged her companion tightly. "Yes!" she smiled.

While she and Corey had never kissed nor held hands, Ayysa had convinced herself that what she felt for the worgen was nothing but simplistic and true love, and she was eager to finally be able to experience it. The next day, he gave her a moon lily and told her to meet him in Darkshore in a week's time. "From there, we can plan out everything." As she watched him go, she prepared for her own big move. "I'm glad to see you find happiness finally." One of her elven sisters said as she helped the ex-warrior pack her only belongings. "Yes, I'm happy to finally retire my life." Ayysa responded in a simple sigh. "Do you no longer wish to live?" asked the other elf in a quiet tone.

"If I could get those years back, I doubt I would ever settle down. But for anyone of elven descent, fifty, well forty-nine now, years are not enough. It's a mere blink of our eyes. And I want nothing more than to spend this last breath somewhere peaceful with someone who seems to genuinely care about me, kaldorei or not." She shrugged. The other elf seemed to understand and helped her finish her packing.

And a week later, Ayysa found herself in Darkshore's small fishing village waiting to hear from her soon to be husband. The innkeeper had explained to her that he had been called on a mission along with several others residing in the town and no one knew when they would be back. There was the mention of trolls and ruins, but Ayysa found herself slightly bored and quickly lost interest.

It was at this point that she decided to wander the forests of Darkshore. She knew that it was dangerous, as many had told her, but being an ex-warrior she knew she would be fine so long as she took the proper materials. A small sword on her side and light armor covering most of her, she was certain that nothing could go wrong. She had made it deep into the forest and was near a rushing waterfall when something tackled her to the ground.

Perhaps things would not go as easily as she thought. She realized her time helping the priestesses had dulled her warrior skills, for her opponent had disarmed her easily and had her hogtied in moments. "Dat be a good lil elf now. I'm sure someone is goin' ta pay a hefty price for ya." She recognized the accent as a troll. She was gagged but she could see him clearly. He had blue tinted skin and piercing amber eyes, as most trolls do. His hair was a bright pink but it's mohawk form was outgrown on the side by a significant amount making the top just look a bit longer than the rest. His tusks were adorned with different jewelry and war paint was smudged under his eyes.

He pulled her up by her chin to look closely at her, minding his rather long tusks to ensure he didn't damage his new property. "Oh ya, someone really will pay out da nose for ya." He snickered. "Ya should consider yaself lucky dat I don't want ta hurt such a pretty elf. I'm just goin' ta use ya ta get some gold an be on me way." He lifted her up over his shoulder and began to make his way to a raptor mount hidden behind several bushes. Ayysa kicked and screamed, but the troll was much larger than her and could easily handle her weight. "Stop ya wagglin there ain't no gettin' out o' dis." The troll secured her on the raptor, tying her hands around the creatures throat and her legs to the stirrups. "It be a long ways, but I tink I can handle it." He mused as the began to travel down, away from the fishing village. Ayysa wanted to cry; she'd finally been ready to stop her life in it's tracks and make peace with her death and now she was being dragged away by some troll who intended to use her for ransom money. _I only have forty-nine years left!_


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Me name be Zan'Zan, but ya may call me Zan." The troll smiled at her from across the campfire. "Just one Zan." She smirked. He'd removed her gag, but warned her that no one was around to hear them. The troll, with uncanny strength, had managed to get them high up in the side of the mountain that bordered Felwood and Darkshore. "What be ya name?" he asked. "Ayysa Darkmoon."

"Ey see. And who might ey be sending the ransom note to?" he asked. "Like I'd tell you." She hissed. "You may as well kill me, it's not like I have much to life to live anyways." She pouted. "Don' ya night elves live foreva?" asked the troll, slightly interested. "No. We lost our immortality when the Well of Eternity was shattered. We normally live for hundreds of years anyways, but I was cursed and only have fort-nine left to live."

"Forty-nine be a long life ta some." The troll mused. "Not to an elf." She bit her bottom lip in anger. "I want my years back. If I could get them back then at least I could have more time to see the end of this war and help my people. But in my state I'm just useless. I was about to spend the rest of my forty-nine years being married to a worgen, but thanks to you, it seems as though that won't be happening." She bitterly looked up at the sky.

The troll raised a colorful brow. "Marryin' a worgen? Are ya mad or did gettin all dem years sucked out o' ya make ya lose common sense?" She looked down at the ground and muttered, "We are children of the moon, you would not understand." Shaking his long colorful locks the troll looked up at the sky, laughing. "Tell me da name of ya love and I be sending word his way." He snickered. Looking at the ground, Ayysa wondered if it would be a good idea. "What be the matta? You worried he won' come for ya?" Part of her had to admit that wouldn't be farfetched, but she knew Corey was a lovesick boy who would most likely stop at nothing to get her back. At the very least, he could maul this troll for her. "Corey Langley." She finally hushed and looked up at the sky.

The troll stared at her for a few moments and then burst out into laughter once again. "What kinda name be dat?" he laughed. "Ya were about ta marry a man wit such a name?" he laughed even harder. "This coming from a man name Zan'Zan." She rolled her eyes. "Ey, what be wrong wit me name?" his eyes were suddenly wide with serious curiosity and, if she didn't know any better, she would have thought he looked slightly wounded at her insult.

She sighed and shook her head as her silver eyes looked up to the moon goddess in a silent pray that Corey would find her soon. With her hands still tied behind her back, she laid on the ground and rolled over on her side, facing away from her captor. "What ya think ya be doing?" asked the troll. "Getting sleep. I assume we will be traveling even more tomorrow?" she asked. "Ya be right about dat, but ya can't sleep like that in dis whetha. It be too cold." She peered over her shoulder in an uncomfortable manner and stared at him with a piercing glare. "What do you expect me to do then?" she asked him.

The troll sighed as if the elf had no sense in survival. He got up from the fire and walked over to his raptor, searching through his pouches of gear. He came back to her with new rope and pushed her into the ground on her belly. "Dis will be uncomfortable, but it will keep ya at bay while I retie ya." Before she could ask what he'd meant, the troll practically sat on her; and he was large for his kind. Gasping for air, she felt her hands free for only a few moments before the troll retied them above her head. The bindings were tight, but one long piece of rope remained. With a small wooden stake in the other hand, he made a small noose and slung it around the wood and staked it to the ground.

"Der. Now ya can't get away." He said simply. "Great. Now can I sleep?" she asked, although she had to admit it was nice to have her arms back in front of her. "Nay. It's too cold remember?" The troll was getting out sleeping equipment and pulled out a bed roll with a blanket. Setting it up within her range and taking care to make it neat. "There. Now ya can sleep." She was surprised that he was taking such good care of her, but then she remembered that if she was in poor condition, the chances of him getting his money were slim. Well, she placed as an afterthought, they were slim either way.

Crawling into her bed, she struggled to get her blanket on with her bindings so tight and with no use of her hands. Zan, who was setting up his own, recognized her struggle and came over to help. "I do not need you to tuck me in like a child." She hissed, embarrassed. "It be cold at night in Darkshore. Ya sure you want to freeze before dat Langley boy can come save ya?" he taunted. She looked down on the ground, but before she could even agree, he pulled the sheet up over her shoulder. "Der. Now sleep ya wretched ting." Ayysa watched as the troll retreated to his own sleeping mat and she huddled her nose under the blanket for warmth; she worried what tomorrow would bring.

And of course she had a right to worry. Sunlight barred down on her from their barren position and warmth flooded her. Sighing in comfort she snuggled in closer to the warmth. Suddenly something tugged at her hands and she realized the troll was trying to wake her up. "Do ya damn elves neva wake up?" he was snarling. "I'm nocturnal." She retorted lightly and snuggled deeper into the sheets. "Come on! We don' have all day! We need ta make it ta Ashenvale tanight." Looking up at him, she asked, "Where exactly are we going?"

"I be takin ya to da Moonglade." The troll said quickly and without looking at her as he began to pack up their camp. "Cenarion Circle means der be no need ta worry." He seemed to be trying to convince himself. "So you intend for us to just sit there and wait for Corey to come?" she eyed him, hoping she could manage to take him down if given the chance. "Dat be right. Smart girl ya be."

"And what a stupid troll you are. My fiancé is a worgen; he should have no trouble tracking us down." She snapped. "Ey, don' be callin' anyone here stupid. An ya forget yaself missy; ol' Zan'Zan be a jungle troll an a good tracker meself. Ya wolf may wanna watch himself before he tink's he can take on me." The troll pulled the mat from beneath her making her slide into the dirt. She glared at him and remembered that he'd tied her hands in the front; it would be easy to get away if she could take him on. Being proficient in close ranged combat, she figured that even if she'd dulled she should be able to take on a sleepy troll even with her hands completely tied.

Standing up, the troll didn't seem to mind her as he finished packing up the rest of the items. Quietly, she moved to be completely behind him. He faced his raptor, and she was sure that she could get away if he startled the beast in the process. She looked over at the dagger that her rope was tied to; picking it up she dashed towards the troll with her new weapon of choice.

He seemed to be aware of her attack and as he dodged her in one fast movement, he prevented the elf from harming his raptor. "Dat be a stupid ting ta do, Ayysa." The troll rolled his eyes as he held the elf up by her arms. "I see ya going ta make dis difficult, so I have ta retie ya."

The two were on their way down the side of the mountain they'd been camping on, Ayysa now tied with her hands around the raptors neck and unable to move. There was a slight nerve that had now made it's way into her mind; the troll had been right, he was no amateur. Despite his slender figure, he packed enough muscle to be a worthy match for her and her worgen love even if both were fighting side by side. She watched with careful eyes as the troll walked slightly ahead, pulling the raptor along to guide it. She had to admit, he was an odd troll; she'd never seen one so colorful in both personality and being.

He must have felt her heavy gaze on him because he asked stated, "Ya neva see a troll before or am I just dat pretty?" Looking down at the ground, she blushed slightly. His large tusks swung around to face her. "What be wrong? Ya tinking of anotha brilliant plan ta escape?" Grateful for the change in subject, Ayysa looked up at the sun-ridden sky. "Perhaps." She responded. Snorting, Zan's laughing amber eyes looked up at her, "Don' be. There ain't no point in it. Besides, Zan is not here ta hurt ya. Just business." Laying her head down on the raptor's smooth neck, she stared at the dark forest. "It doesn't matter what you do with me really... It's not like there's enough time to do anything."

"Ya be a petty ting, Ayysa." The troll, now looking away from her, stopped before she could say anything more. "Ya keep tinking that ya life be ova. But dat not be da truth. Some don' see tamorrow and here ya are crying about forty nine years dat haven' even happen yet. Pathetic." His blue shoulders rose and fell in a shrug as he shook his pink mess of hair. "It be sad really. A pretty ting like you moping so much. A waste."

"Who's the one thinking the other's pretty now?" Ayysa dared to tease the troll. Laughing in confidence, she was unsure that she'd even managed to unnerve the troll when he replied, "It be dull of me ta not admit ya be beautiful. I may not be an elf, but I know a ting or two about pretty women." Blushing she looked down at the ground and refused to say another word.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"Ya be a quiet ting." Zan figured as they neared the border to Ashenvale. "I normally don't say much." She admitted. "What are ya back at home?" he asked. "A warrior." She looked off into the trees with a agitated stare. "Ya be a warrior yet ya have notin ta say?" the troll laughed. "There are no stories I feel proud of sharing." She admitted. "And when I fought ya, well das not what I tought a elven warrior would fight like." He pointed out.

"I haven't been training since I was cursed." She admitted. "Ah, so ya just laze around and feel useless?" Ayysa wished she had something to throw and the annoying and bothersome troll. "No!" she snapped in defense. "For your information, I've been helping priests with worgen. That's how I met Corey. Because their curse can cause them to loose their minds, the priests need muscle every now and then. Corey was one of the worst." She smiled. "I always bested him. But fighting a mindless and tactless person is not the same as hand-to-hand combat. So I suppose my skills have dulled."

"Ah so ya be a pup trainer now?" the troll teased further. "You're lucky my hands are tied, because I would love to smash a filthy troll like you into the ground. Members of the Horde are all scum and you are no exception." The troll stopped at that moment, causing the raptor to pause and stare at her master in confusion. The elf now sat beside the standing troll, although she could not see his face. His head was tilted downward and his pink unkempt bangs covered his face. She wasn't sure why, but she felt a knot tighten in her stomach as though she'd done something she was not supposed to do.

"I do not want ta be part of da Horde, missy." The troll finally managed to speak, although his voice was shaking with rage. "An ya be a dumb creature for spewing out everyting da Alliance tells ya." His eyes snapped up to face her with a golden glare. "Perhaps it was betta when ya didn' open ya damn mouth." He spat and began to walk ahead again, pulling the raptor with a sharp tug as he did.

Ayysa stared at the back of Zan for a few moments in bewilderment. She was confused at what had just happened; were they not supposed to spit obscenities at each other and hate one another mutually? Obviously the troll had some sort of issue with the Horde himself, and now Ayysa was curious to find out what. She opened her mouth to speak, but decided it'd be best not to at the moment; this man was clearly not in the mood to talk.

The couple had made it into the deep purple forest of Ashenvale, and she was surprised to see the troll look as though he belonged there. In fact, since she'd met him, she'd been slightly shocked to see how the troll carried himself. Ayysa had fought with his kind before; their posture was slouched and almost primitive. But Zan carried himself tall and seemed to beam with complete confidence. She hadn't even seen him use a map in the while she'd been traveling with him and she'd already found out first hand that his senses were more than excellent. Perhaps she had misjudged and undermined the troll too much.

Suddenly, he pulled the raptor off the path and headed deep into the woods. Before she could ask, he spoke up. "Der be too many night elves up dat way. Goes witout sayin dat I don' need dem seeing der sista bein me tied up hostage." Ayysa had not been to Ashenvale for quite some time and forgot how beautiful the land was; it reminded her of Teldrassil only much more vast. Taking the long way around was not an easy feat as the two came upon a path. With no one around, they had very little trouble crossing it and returning to pure woodland, however, it was mostly large moss covered stone from there on out. The bumpy cold hills would have been difficult for anyone other than the elves who were used to the terrain, but she was surprised to see the troll moving over the land with ease.

"What is your class?" she asked him finally. "Same as ya. Warrior. Only Zan left." She could detect a slight sense of hostility in the trolls voice. "You don't agree with your faction?" she'd be surprised if that were the case. While she'd heard of neutral groups, such as the one they were currently traveling to, she'd never heard of someone abandoning their political stances completely. "Da damn Horde be sending us trolls out ta die. Just cause da Warcheif save me people long ago does not mean I hafta throw me life out a damn window. I was dispatched to help da trolls out here, but dey all be mindless fools by now. We follow orcs who have lost der ways. I know der past; I want notin ta do wit da Horde."

"Their past?" asked Ayysa. She wasn't sure what the troll was referring to in particular. "Day killed der home and decided to take over ours after dey drank demon blood. Read a damn book, elf." He waved his hand in the air as they started to make their way back to the main road. "You mean Mannoroth's blood?" She tried her best to sit up straight, but her restraints would not allow it. "I foun out about it an I refuse ta follow des orcs."

"The succubus who shortened my life had been made up of too much of her father's blood. That was how she sucked my life away." Ayysa said sadly. "I can understand." The troll erupted with laughter. "Ya mean ta tell me dat a damn succubus cursed ya? Ha! I tink dats about da funniest ting I eva heard!" His snorts and squeals lasted for a few moments until Ayysa continued. "It wasn't like I asked for it. I was sent on a mission to kill her master... But no one knew about his mistress. I just got caught up in an unfortunate thing I suppose you could say. But she knew she wasn't going to beat me so she cursed me instead." She wasn't sure why she was telling the troll this, but it felt even better to tell him the story then when she'd fist spoken word to Corey.

"Ya can take down a damn demon lord buh ya can't take down ol' Zan?" the troll continued to snicker. "Your laugh is repulsive." Looking up at the sky, she could see that the sun was already going down. "I keep wonderin how dis Langley wolf can love such a cold woman." Zan turned to face her with a smile. "And I keep wondering how many things about me can make you laugh." She retorted. "And don't you think it's about time we find a place for camp? It's going on night and the weather here isn't much different than the weather in Darkshore."

"Aye, we be staying up in da mountains for da night." Zan's raptor had already been hopping up the side of Ashenvale's uneven ground until they came to a rare flat crevice in between the rocks. She mused as she watched him untie her without fault with his three fingered hands. "Ya gon' try an kill me again?" he asked without looking at her. "No." she answered simply. "Good." He answered as he placed his hands on her hips and hoisted her down.

"Tell me, even if I was untied, is there a chance I'd be able to get away?" she asked. "Aye, ya be in ya own environment here. But I be a jungle troll, and dis be no harsh feat fo ol' Zan. I can catch ya easily." As she rested her back against the mossy side of the mountain, her hands now tied behind her back, she watched the troll unpack. "So what do you plan to do with the ransom money?" She'd decided that if she were not talkative enough for Zan, she may as well get to know her situation a bit better.

"Ain't it obvious?" he answered, a golden eye peering around to face her. "I be using it ta have a life of me own." Her white brows furrowed at his response. "But you won't be able to buy anything in Horde camps now that you're running away." He shrugged. "Der be plenty of neutral places I be welcome. I want ta join the Cenarion's one of dese days. Howeva, it not be soon. Tauren don't trust trolls." He shrugged. She couldn't help but laugh, "Are you honestly serious? A troll in the Cenarion Circle?"

"Laugh all ya want, love, but it be me who laughs last." As she quieted down, she felt slightly ashamed of herself. Whenever he teased her for her dreams or past employments, she'd grown angry and embarrassed. However, her laughter and banter had hardly phased him as he continued to unpack the make shift camp and unsaddle his raptor. "You're much different then the other trolls." She finally managed to say after staring at him for a few moments.

He looked up at her in surprise. "Dat be a compliment?" he asked in confusion. "Maybe..." she looked away with darkened cheeks. She didn't like the idea of complimenting another race, particularly one known for savagery and dark beliefs. "Most trolls don' trust oda's." he said after another silent beat. "But I tink dat's where we falta sometimes." Ruffling his shaggy, outgrown mohawk, he grabbed a piece of parchment and sat in front of her wit a pen and ink. Looking out into the lush purple forest, Ayysa's eyes suddenly grew sad. "Yeah... I think that could be said about both races at times..."

The troll grabbed her chin and moved her face to look at him in his amber eyes. "Ya not da oldest ting out der, love." They held a serious composure as though he was warning her of something. "Ya elves tink ya da oldest beings dat eva walked. But ya forget ya place. Ya not far from trolls yaself. Or do ya forget?" His tusks were closed around her face as he said this, and she felt slightly uncomfortable with him touching her so casually. "What do you mean?" she asked nervously, her heart beating fast. "I mean ya people would still be trolls if dey hadn' found da Well of Eternity. Ya may have lost ya tusks an squished ya nose, but ya da same friggin tings."

Ayysa shook of the troll and gave him a glare filled with hostility. "How dare you compare my kind to yours! You're savage and dark! Everything we stand for is something you could never understand! We are two races completely different from one another!" The troll rolled his eyes in annoyance and ground his teeth, trying not to look at the angered elf. "We be different now, but ya can't hide what ya came from. And I know damn well what ya fight ta protect. Unlike some of me brothas I care too. Why else would I want ta join the Cenarion Circle?" he asked.

Zan seemed to want to make a different point to her, but Ayysa was not yet grasping his words. She was still too angered over his previous comparison. But by this point her new travel companion was fed up with her and had now turned his attention to the parchment in his lap. "A ransom note?" she guessed allowed after he'd finished writing and was allowing the ink to dry properly. "Ya. I be needin ta get da word to ya sweetheart if he be meetin us in da Moonglade. Dat is," he added with a mischievous smile. "unless ya want me ta take ya for meself." She scoffed and turned away. As Zan got up he helped her to her feet. Taking out the stake, he hammered her ropes into the ground. "Dat should hold ya till I come back." He said as he turned away to leave. "Wait! Where are you going?" she asked. It was already night time and the temperature was dropping, not to mention she hadn't eaten anything. "I be back soon. I just hafta stick dis ta da door of ya people an hunt down a beast ta eat. Simple." Before she could argue, he rushed off into the night.

Stranded and stuck to the ground, Ayysa thought of her current situation and how if could get any worse. _How could I even let such an idiot capture me?_ She silently wondered to herself. She found herself staring at his red raptor with it's beautiful teal eyes that seemed to glow in the moonlight. Sighing to herself, she hoped his mount wasn't hungry enough to eat her. _Not to mention, I don't even know if Corey has enough money to pay for my ransom..._ Corey was only twenty-six years of age and had barely made a living before his curse. After it's arrival, it had not been easy for him period.

Ayysa wondered about her soon to be husband and pondered over that fact alone. Did she really intend to spend the last forty-nine years with this worgen? Not that it would be frowned upon too much, but she realized for the first time since her capture that she didn't exactly miss the man. _Should I really be doing this?_ She'd only agreed a little over a week before, but now she was starting to contemplate her decision. Sighing, she rested her head against the stick and began to imagine what her life would be like after she married him.

She supposed they'd live together somewhere. But did Corey want to live somewhere outside of Teldrassil? What if he wanted to live somewhere else, such as the large city of Stormwind or even in the outskirts such as the Elwynn Forest? And what of her last name? Would she have to change it to Langley? She supposed so, seeing as it was traditional of humans. Looking into the woods, she thought about the other things human couples did that she might not be ready for: living together, moving together, children.

Ayysa found herself blushing at the last one. Half-elven children had since been accepted into their society, but she wasn't sure if she was ready to have children let alone Corey's. She was almost certain that that's what he would want. They'd never even spoken of what their love lives might be like, and she'd agreed to marry him. Was she that irrational? The two had never even kissed. And she'd honestly thought this to be a good idea?

Of course, she had enjoyed her time spent with the man. The two had been good fighters and seemed to have fun whenever she finally managed to calm him down during his training. Not to mention, they'd always read together, spending endless amounts of time not speaking but simply enjoying each other's presence. But she hardly knew anything about his life in Gilneas and he hardly knew nothing about her last three hundred and twenty years of life as an elven warrior. Perhaps Zan had been right about her life; she'd been petty and had focused so much on her years lost that she didn't even consider what she was doing with her last leg of life.

Tears began to fall down her face before she knew it; she was going to spend the rest of her forty-nine years with a man she hardly knew and who hardly knew her in return. She didn't want to be damned to this life. As shy as she may have been, she was a warrior of the kaldorei and she wanted to help her people. Or maybe she didn't, maybe she really did want to retire and have a family before she passed. In truth, Ayysa did not yet know what she expected Elune to bless her with just yet, nor what she herself could choose for her remaining days.

"Ya be missin me dat much?" She snapped her head up to realize that time had passed much quicker than she'd anticipated and now Zan had returned. Despite his taunt, his eyes seemed to hold some sort of worry as he kept an even stare with hers. Looking up past her bangs, she could see that the moon had risen high. "What be da matta love?" he asked her. "Ya miss da wolf?"

"Let me go." She asked him. "Please. He won't come for me. Please just let me go. I won't hurt you." She started to cry again. "I just... I don't know what to do..." The troll seemed confused by her words as he looked at her. "Wait a minute, love, watcha mean da wolf won' come fo' ya?" She shook her head as her bangs fell in her eyes even more. "I don't know..." she cried softly.

Bending down to meet her height, Zan pulled her face up to his, his tusks now making a slight cage around her head as he looked into her silver eyes. Gently, he pushed the silver locks out of the way and stared at her. In a hushed voice, he silently said, "He'd be a damn fool not ta come fo' ya." The tears would not stop as she looked at the troll. "What would you know?" She hissed. "I'm three hundred and twenty years old and you're not even a fraction of my age. What could you possibly know?" Chuckling, his eyes seemed slightly relieved and sad as he wiped the new tears off her cheeks.

"Dat be explainin it. Ya a young elf. And ya have lost so many of ya years. It make dis ol' troll sad ta see dat." Looking down, his tucks brushing her shoulders unintentionally, he smiled. "I may not know much, love. But I know dat ya a beautiful creata dat could make any man come runnin. Ya shouldn' worry 'bout it." Her sobs became mere hiccups and she found herself embarrassed by his kind words. Looking away, she pouted like a child. Zan got up and cut all of her ropes. "Ya still want ta run? Den go."

Her illuminating silver eyes stared up at him in confusion. "It be late an ya have no weapons, but if ya ask, I'll lead ya ta da nearest place. I cannot handle a cryin lady." Sniffling, Ayysa stood up and looked around. Something in her heart pressured her confusion to worsen as she realized she didn't feel ready to leave yet. _How does a hostage not feel_ ready _to leave?_ She grinded her teeth in frustration. "I'll stay here." She offered. Turning to look at the troll she looked at the ground. "You want to do a noble thing with your life. I wish I had that much resolve. Please, allow me to help be the start. Corey will pay your ransom, and I promise I won't run."

Watching her with careful eyes, Zan began to laugh. "Such a strange woman I caught!" his thick accent bleeding through even more. "Ya be weird!" he held his belly and put his hand on her shoulder. "But dat be okay. Tank ya, love. I won't be forgettin dis act o' kindness." Smiling sadly, the night elf looked down at the purple tipped ends of her hair and brushed through them, feeling slightly nervous. "There will be no need for thanks. Perhaps along the way, I'll figure out a better way to get your life started." The trip to the Moonglade would be slightly longer with the pace they were traveling, as Zan had been walking the entire way.

That night, seeing as Zan had not been able to catch anything, the two ate bread in the darkness without a fire. Smiling, Ayysa felt something warm her heart. At the very least she was doing something to help someone, even if it wasn't her entire race as she'd originally dreamed. Laying in her small flattened bed, she looked up at the treetops and breathed in deep, nervous that by the end of this journey, her original plans would change and she would regret the decision.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Zan helped the night elf onto the raptor and climbed up behind her. "You aren't walking?" she asked, slightly nervous. "When ya were tied to da raptor, it be hard for me ta fit. Now I can." He explained as he made himself comfortable. It was early dawn and already the day was full of surprises. The raptor, Ayysa found her name to be Pretty, had more speed than she'd imagined. Although the ride was slightly smooth, despite the uneven land, Ayysa felt herself flushing and uncomfortable.

The raptor was not a large creature, and the saddle didn't offer as much room as she'd thought. Her back ended up right against Zan's chest and she was more than aware of the other lower regions that ended up meeting as well. The rocking motion, she found, did not help. But what made the odd interaction that much worse was that his tusks made her nervous as they caged her head slightly and her ears would run into them from time to time.

Pretty was hopping to lower ground when her able feet missed a rock and they slightly tripped and skidded for a moment. "Woah!" Zan pulled on the rains. Catching her breath from the nervous moment, Ayysa realized that the troll had grabbed her waist in attempt stop her from falling off. "Me apologies. She be a fine raptor, but not always does her weight fava her." He said as Pretty balanced herself and continued.

Ayysa blushed as she recognized that Zan had not let go of her stomach just yet. And somehow, she felt too afraid to say anything anyways. It took him a few moments, but he finally realized. "Sorry." He grumbled as he put his hand on the reign. The two walked deeper into the forest when they came across a few black stags. "Dey look like dey'd make a fine dinna." He smiled.

In hopes of less awkward situations, Ayysa asked, "Would you like to stop and hunt?" Tilting his head to the side he smiled. "Ya. I may not be da best hunta, but I sure as hell can try." Hopping off the raptor, he lead Ayysa behind a tree. "Ya watch Pretty while I do da work." He offered. Grabbing her by the waist, she flinched away. "What? Ya wanna sit on da poor rapta da whole time?" he asked.

Embarrassed, she realized that he'd been trying to help her down. "S-sorry... Just a reaction..." she looked away as he gently picked her up. "Ya be a weird one love." He said as he grabbed his battle axe. "I not be too good with bows an such." He muttered to himself as he walked away, leaving Ayysa to her awkward silence. _Why am I getting so flustered?_ He'd helped her down before, there was no reason to be nervous. If anything, she had more reason before when she thought he'd kill her.

She watched the raptor happily chase a mouse while her companion was nowhere to be seen. Taking in a deep breath, she thought over the night before again, as she had been since the start of the day's trip. Something about Zan's interaction with her had left her in a state of nerves all day.

While he'd not exactly understood her reason for crying, he'd been so kind. _He'd be a damn fool not ta come fo' ya._ He'd never been ashamed to call her beautiful despite her being a different race and being such a sour companion. And he'd been taking care of her, even though he'd kidnapped her in the first place. Ayysa felt as though he probably wasn't sure how to get out of his situation and was probably ashamed of holding the night elf captive. He was a good person, she finally decided.

Although she still didn't trust trolls in total, she felt that he was an exception. Looking around she began to grow nervous for different reasons. What if he was caught and she were left here in the woods by herself? Or what if she was caught and had no choice to go home? Sitting against the trunk of a tree, she watched Pretty rush over to her proudly with the mouse trapped in her jaws. "Gross." Ayysa laughed. She found herself missing her travel companion only a little. Despite never being talkative, she was starting to like the idea of conversation.

But perhaps, she wondered, that was just an excuse to cover up the real reason she wanted to talk. Sadly, she reminded herself that when she was alone, she thought of Corey and how she had promised her life to a man she hardly knew. Ayysa had always wanted a life companion, as night elves do not traditionally marry, but she'd never been attracted to the other males; rather, she was always too busy to notice them. She'd never been in love, she realized. In all her three hundred and twenty years, that was the one thing she'd never done. She'd never even really looked for someone. And here she was about to marry a man she hadn't really ever known. Sighing in frustration, she waited.

About three hours had passed and the sun was now high in the sky. Ayysa woke up to someone shaking her shoulders. "Ey! Where be Pretty?" the voice shouted in a heavy accent. Her eyes fluttered open as she saw that Zan had come back with a black stag in tow. His amber eyes were large with worry. "I fell asleep!" she screamed and sat up grabbing her head to stop the dizziness. "Dat be all fine and well, but wheres da damn rapta?" he asked. "I don't know! She was catching mice!" His hands grabbed his head. "It be fine... She'll come back, but da damn thing has our supplies!"

"W-wait! Where are you going?" she asked when she saw him turn around. "I hafta find her! Without her da whole damn journey gon' be a livin hell!" Ayysa looked at the stag, her stomach aching for a proper meal. "L-let me go with you!" the shy elf rushed up behind him. "Why da hell ya wanna go?" he asked. "Because I'm sick of just sitting around!" Frustrated, he ruffled his bright hair as though it would clear his head. "Fine!" he finally spat. "But ya stay out da way." He warned her as they headed into the forest. "Took me hours ta kill da damn stag now we ain't even gonna eat da ting!"

Looking around, she stopped the troll by grabbing his hand. "What?" he asked her whipping his head around. "Maestra's Post is up ahead. We shouldn't go there unless you want to be caught." She warned. Growling, she could tell they shared the same thought; it was more than possibly that the night elves had caught the raptor.

Looking up, she could see the watchtower and the sentinels watching it. "You can go no further." She pointed. "If we get any closer they shall see you."

Still holding his hand she shoved lead him farther back into the dense forest. "Stay behind here." She told him. "I shall go in and see if she is there." He watched her with untrusting eyes. "How do I know you ain't gonna turn me in?" he asked. "I told you, you want to give your life a noble meaning. I want to help you, not destroy you." His eyes widened at her words, but she ignored him as she turned to rush in the direction of the post.

As she walked up to the post, she was certain that the guards eyes were on her. Her plan should work if they chose to believe her. "Excuse me." She caught the attention of a nearby sentinel. "How may I help you?" her night elven sister replied. "I was wondering if you found any hunting parties recently that caught a raptor? She's red with teal eyes." The night elf opened her eyes in shock. "A raptor?" Clearly she wasn't going to answer unless Ayysa explained how she acquired said raptor.

"I was recently in Darkshore and ended up killing her owner in battle. She's far too pretty to be killed, so I kept her." She explained. "However, I haven't yet gotten used to her, nor she to me. I was napping in the forest and when I woke up, she was gone." Her eyes slowly moved around the post to make sure no one was familiar; the last thing she needed was for someone to recognize her. But from what she could tell, her ransom note had not yet made news to the post, and for that, she was grateful.

"I'm sorry, but we've not found a raptor. What a shame... It's rare to have such a mount in Alliance possession." The other night elf sighed. "I'm not certain we have the power to help you find your new pet, but I will warn the others to keep an eye out for her. Come back tomorrow and perhaps we will have found her if you have not already." The sentinel smiled happily. Nodding her thanks, Ayysa walked away and tried her best not to rush back to Zan.

It was strange, but at that moment she felt as though she were a stranger to her people, or more accurately, that she'd felt as though she'd betrayed them in some strange way. She pushed it aside as she made it back to her companion's hiding spot. "Do dey have her?" he asked. "No, I'm afraid not. But if we camp out here for a day, I can try again tomorrow. They'll keep their eyes open for me." She tried to give him a reassuring smile, although she was sure that it wasn't working out too well. "I be raising dat fool since she was a hatchlin. Breaks me heart." He sighed as he stood up. "We be starving tonight, love. I have nothing ta skin da stag with."

Shaking her head, she told him it'd be fine. "There's a small stream of lakes not far from here. Perhaps we could get fresh water and wait around there." She suggested. Receiving a nod of agreement, she lead the way as best she could remember. The walk was long and sunset came faster then she'd expected as the two made it to the lake. While her stomach ached for food as she reached in to drink the water, she saw a flash of silver before her eyes. "Fish!" she hissed. "We could skin that if we sharpen a stick... Or just not." She suggested. Agreeing, Zan prepared to step in the water. She watched as the troll took of his shirt to reveal a muscular and scared chest.

Looking away embarrassed, she decided to look for berries and other edible plants that she knew grew around Ashenvale's lakes, just in case his fishing skills were not up to date. But despite her best, she found herself looking over at the troll to get a better look at his barren state. "Ya like what ya see love?" he asked her as she noticed his amber eyes catch hers. A rush of blood filled her cheeks. "N-no! I was just seeing if you'd caught any fish!" she excused herself. "Right. An I be a tauren." He snickered as he continued to wade in the water, searching for a fish.

That night, the two had been able to pull off a fire and fish, although unable to skin them, and some edible berries that she'd found. Zan had since put on his shirt, but his pants were still soaked considerably. "Shoulda taken da damn tings off. It's cold." He noted as the night temperatures reminded them that they had no bedding. "At least they got clean. My armor is a pain to sleep in." she sighed. "Ya should have told me. I woulda found sometin for ya ta sleep in." he offered, a smile ever present on his face.

"I don't complain about trivial things." She sighed, poking the fire with a stick. "An yet ya worry about da years ya have left." He laughed. Had he said that a day ago, she would have thought about how she craved to have her years back. But now it only reminded her that the remaining years were about to be spent on something she was not sure she wanted. Noticing the disheartened look on her face, the troll took back his harsh words. "I'm sorry. I forgot how much ya treasure dat."

"No. It's not that anymore... Really." She smiled and shook her head sadly. "Den what make a pretty face so sad?" he asked, watching her carefully. She sighed and decided that it didn't matter if he knew or not. "I do not know the man I am to marry. Yes, I chose him and yes we are friends. But last night... I realized that we'd hardly really spoken in the time we knew each other. And besides that, I'm not so certain I want to spend my last years with this man. He possibly wants to move away from my home, have me bear his last name and his children and whatever else it is that married couples do." Looking up at him, she noticed that he seemed slightly disgruntled, if not angry.

"What is it?" she dared to ask. "Ya said yes to a man ya don' even know?" His accent was getting slightly thicker. "I suppose it was because I was scared. I've always wanted a companion for life, but I never had time to with my own race. Now that they know I won't live for much longer, the men I do know want nothing romantic with me. Who'd want a partner doomed for death?" she added silently. "But humans and worgen would live around the same time as my new lifespan. So I guess I figured it'd just be easy. Besides, he's kind to me." She added with a smile. "He's not a bad person. And it's not that I'm opposed to taking a name, moving, or even children. It's that I wanted things to grow. And yet here they are, happening so fast."

"I tink it be dumb dat ya said yes ta someone ya don' even love. It make dis ol' troll mad dat a beauty like ya be wasted on some wolf who don' even know what he has!" Zan huffed. Her white brows furrowed, as she looked up at him in question. "Are you jealous? You yourself haven't even known me for a week!" His amber eyes seemed golden as they stared at her intensely as he gave his response. "Da hell I am! Here I steal a pretty ting and da damn girl gives herself ta a wolf wit no damn mannas! Have ya even kissed da man?" he asked her.

Laughing slightly, she pushed her bangs behind her ears as she shook her head. "In all my three hundred and twenty years, I've never been in love with someone and I've never kissed someone." She laughed. "Dis be what ol' Zan is talkin about! Ya have no experience! An ya sit here bein all defiant an all knowin ta me!" The troll then began cursing in Zandari out of frustration. Laughing, she looked at her friend. "Then what do you suppose I do? Say no?" Zan stopped and looked at the ground as though he were honestly contemplating the idea.

"No... I suppose ya can't right?" Ayysa felt her heart slightly drop at his response. But what had she been hoping he'd say? "Ya best sleep da best ya can. We have a raptor ta catch in da mornin." He said suddenly as he turned laid down and turned his back to her. "Y-yeah." She said after a moment of silence and tried her best to lay down as close as she could to the fire. Despite it's heat, she shivered in the darkness; without her sleeping gear, it was too cold.

"Ya be freezin?" he asked from the silence. "No. I'm fine." She said silently. "Don' hit me den." He warned her as she heard him walk over and lay beside her. Eyes wide, she turned to him. "W-what are you doing?" she asked. "Keepin da both of us warm." He explained. Not bringing his gaze to hers, he pulled her close and held her in his arms. "I know ya not eva lay wit a man. But dis be for survival. Don' go getting any funny ideas, love." He said after she turned away. "An ya betta off facin me. Ya be warmer." He added after she didn't respond.

Readjusting herself, and minding his tusks, she found her head near his chest to avoid the facial weapons he naturally adorned. Laughing, the vibrant troll asked, "Dey be too dangerous?" Nodding, and afraid to speak, the elf chose to look at his chest and not his face. Holding her around her back, she felt a slight sense of reassurance somewhere in the awkwardness of the situation. As she slowly closed her eyes, she focused on the sound of his breathing. It was slow, and almost like a lullaby. _Would Corey's sound like this?_ She wondered what it would be like and if she'd really have to listen to it every night for the rest of her days. _But somehow... I don't want to listen to anyone else's..._


	6. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: If anyone would like, I also do WoW RP in game as well as one Tumblr. You're more than welcome to come interact with my characters! . will have all of my characters ready for interaction! And if you want to read my original work, which is steampunk fictional podcasts and soon-to-be books as well as anime blogs and more, please check out my profile for more information! Thank you for your support!**

Chapter Five

The sentinels had found Pretty, but had not gone through the satchels. Apparently their early morning hunting party had found her eating a chipmunk; this was after a they'd found a trail of small dead creatures leading them to her. Thanking them for their trouble and leaving with haste before they could question, Ayysa knew she had to make it back to Zan before he'd awoken. Dawn had barely kissed the horizon, and she'd woken about an hour before in his arms. To avoid another strange interaction, she'd left in hopes that Pretty would have already arrived at the post.

But as she neared the spot they'd slept in, she stopped in her tracks. "Dat damn girl ran off!" She heard a scream. "Ya offer her help an here she goes an runs off!" She didn't need another example to tell her that Zan had woken up. Pretty chirped, but she silenced the raptor. "Sh, let's let him get it all out." She giggled. "Ugh! Ya neva trust pretty tings!" Zan continued yelling. "An she gon' marry a worgen! A worgen she don' even know! Da hell be wrong wit dat girl? She ta pretty for da damn wolf!" Trying to stay silent, Ayysa found it futile and fell to the ground laughing.

She'd obviously been loud for Zan had come out from their hiding spot. "Der ya be!" he howled. She couldn't respond as her body would not allow her to stop laughing. "Don' tell me ya heard?" he sighed, slightly relieved and embarrassed. "Y-Yes!" she screamed in laughter. "An ya foun our stupid rapta." He noted. Her laughter finally subsided as she sat up to face the troll. She took note of his already exhausted face and smiled. "Don't worry, I wouldn't run off without you." She assured him. He smiled and sniffed the air. "I don' tink I woulda had much trouble findin ya. Ya stink!" he teased. Smelling herself, she nodded. "Do you have soap?"

If she thought sleeping together was going to be weird, bathing was a different thing entirely. Unfortunately, trolls do not bathe with soap, if they bathed at all, as Zan had explained. "Ya can use berries and what not ta smell betta." He figured. After gathering a few wild flowers and berries, Ayysa moved to the other side of the river. While Zan was nowhere to be seen, she felt nervous that he might spot her. Rubbing her mixture through her hair and on her body, she felt relieved to finally get out of her armor.

Her unlucky moment happened, however, when Pretty decided to cause more trouble for the night elf. Picking up Ayysa's clothes in her large jaws, the creature tipped its head to the side. "Pretty! Put those down!" she warned. But as she reached up to grab the clothing, the creature decided they were playing chase. Rushing into the water Ayysa could clearly see that her armor would not only have bite marks in it now; it was completely soaked. Chirping at her, Ayysa tried not to get angry. "Where's your saddle?" she notice suddenly.

"Ey! Pretty! Get da hell back 'ere ya dumb rapta!" Squealing and ducking into the water, she had just enough time to cover herself before a shirtless Zan came rushing through the shrubbery. Stopping in his tracks, she could see his face turn a dark shade of blue. "Oh no... I be sorry..." he stumbled backwards while trying to cover his eyes. As he retreated back into the forest, Pretty rushed with after him. _Stupid troll..._ Ayysa grumbled in her mind, trying to ignore the heat on her face. Once he was gone, however, she realized that she now had no clothes.

"I not be lookin." The troll warned after a few moments. Ducking back into the water, she saw he left her light cotton clothing. "It may not fit very well, but ya armor be torn badly." He apologized. She dried herself off and changed once she was sure he had left. The shirt was white cotton and had long sleeves that were too long for her. Making sure that the neck of the shirt lowered in the back and not in the front, she checked on the tanned pants, which slid down slightly and were by far too long. Putting on her small boots, which the pants covered almost completely, she met the dripping wet troll where they'd spent the night. "I tought it'd be too big." He sighed. "It won't protect me, but I don't really have a choice. Thank you." She smiled politely. "Ya don' need armor anyways. Ol' Zan be protectin ya now." He said defiantly as he helped her up to a now saddled Pretty. "I can defend myself anyways." She smiled and assured him. He smiled and nodded in agreement.

She'd never been picked up by her sides without her armor on and found it ticklish. Laughing and trying not to kick, Zan realized what the issue was. "Not used ta no armor." He laughed with her as he hopped up behind her, his hair still wet. "Yeah." She giggled. "I be keepin dat in mind." He mused as the raptor took its course.

After about a half an hour of riding, Zan warned, "We hafta go through Felwood ta get ta Moonglade." To that, Ayysa teased in a sarcastic tone, "I suppose it'll be fine if you're protecting me." Without guessing, the troll used one hand to tickle her belly. "Stop!" she laughed, almost falling off the raptor as she tried to get away. "Ya be right, I be protectin ya." He chuckled as they followed their original course. "Zan?" she asked after a beat.

"What be on ya mind love?" he asked. "What will happen if I turn down Corey's proposal?" she wondered. "Dat be a harsh ting ta do an a harsh answer ta give." He thought after a few moments. "All my life I've followed any orders given in order to help my people. And now when it comes to making my own decisions, it's as though I don't even know what I want." She sighed. "Well, ya have about a week ta decided dat. Maybe more, dependin on when ya love comes." He reasoned. She nodded, and looked up at the trees, his tusks bobbing in her peripherals. "Have you ever been in love?" she asked.

"Nay..." he started slowly. "Have you kissed?" she asked. "Once. I was a kid doe. She was a small girl, Kimei, in da tribe and I fancied her I guess. I kissed her an her fada threatened me wit an axe." He laughed. Ayysa found herself laughing along side him and sighed. "I wish I had even a poor memory like that."

"Ya may have many, if ya marry dis wolf." He responded. "Or," he added as an afterthought. "Ya could find someone more fittin." Looking to her side, she asked, "What is that supposed to mean?" She could feel his shoulders shrug as he responded, "Ya said ya don't know da man. Perhaps, if ya say no, ya could find someone ya know betta." It seemed logical, she supposed, but she wasn't completely sure if she was ready to finalize her decision. "Again, I wish I could be as decisive as you." She smiled. "It took me a while ta figure out what I wanted ta do wit me life." The troll answered. Leaning her back into him, she felt his heartbeat grow faster. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Why ya be askin?" he responded quickly. "Your heart feels like it's about to beat out of your chest!" she laughed. "I suppose you could say 'snot every day a beautiful woman leans against dis ol' troll." He smiled, still confident as ever. Sitting up straight, now that she realized she was the problem, he gently took his hand and pushed her back to him by her shoulder. "Ya need no apology." Was all he said.

It never ceased to amaze her just how confident this individual was. He seemed to be the one thing every man she'd ever met had wanted to be. And he was so honest with her, she never found herself questioning him. "Do you feel bad kidnapping me?" she asked. "I did at first..." he started slowly. "But, now I tink it was a good idea. Ya be great company love." She smiled at his answer; she was beginning to feel confident that she'd grasped his persona to a tee.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Ayysa watched as the night rose high. The two had made it past Astrannar, from what she could tell, and were close to Silverwind Refuge. However, Zan had been careful not to be spotted as they took a longer path through the forest. She had to guess that if they'd taken roads, they would have been much closer to Felwood by now. "We be campin 'ere for da night." He'd found a large tree with overgrown roots that had popped up from the ground. "Ya eat enough?" he asked her.

Their journey that day had no events following Pretty's reappearance and Zan had hunted a proper meal halfway through. "I'm fine for tonight. Just tired." She yawned, her inner thighs burning from riding all day without armor. Hopping off, he helped her down, only this time be swung her legs over his other arm and carried her. "Hey! Put me down!" she hugged his throat in fear of being dropped. "If ya wan' me ta put ya down so bad, why ya be holdin on so dear?" he asked.

"Because I don't want to fall!" she yelled at him. "Ya lack trust in me." He sighed. "N-no, I just don't want to fall..." she calmed, realizing that she'd somehow managed to offend the troll. "Ya hardly got off da saddle. Ya must hurt." He explained as he placed her on a flat grass patch. "Yeah..." she added in an shy manner. Pulling her knees under her chin, she watched the troll place one of the bed mats under the large roots. "It be best if ya stay hidden." He noted. "Put yours there too." She noted. "It be ta cramped." He shook his head.

Standing up, she went over to inspect his work. "No, you can fit two." The roots were tall enough and where they'd landed allowed two mats to fit, although they would be side by side. "Ya weird love." He grunted, but did as she'd asked. "If anyone would get in trouble for getting caught, it'd be you. And I don't want anyone finding me before Corey." The troll did not bother unpacking anything else and went around the tree to tie up Pretty and keep the raptor hidden. Crawling into her bed mat, Ayysa recognized that she felt as though she hadn't done anything helpful just yet. In frustration, she vowed that she'd hunt in the morning and help do more in the future.

 _In the future?_ Her mind threatened. Did the night elf intend to stay with Zan for a longer period of time, rather than what was decided? No, she sighed sadly. What would be the reason for the two to travel together anymore than a ransom? _But I do only have a week to decide if I really do want to marry Corey..._ She remembered their earlier conversation. Sitting up on her bedroll, she leaned against the tree's moss-covered trunk looked up at the sky through it's caging roots.

"Ya be tinking?" Zan crawled in beside her and laid down on his mat. His amber eyes stared over at her and watched her face carefully as he considered what could be the matter with her. "I'm wondering about what I really want. You said I have a little more than a week, right? Well... I need to think about my recent affairs then. I guess I just don't know where to begin." She rested her head on her propped up knee and allowed her silver eyes to hold the scenery outside the cage for a while.

"What do ya love ta do?" Zan asked, propping up on his elbow. "I love stories. I like to read." She smiled. "I be da same way. Only, I love history. Real stories 'bout me people. And yours." He added. "You read about night elves?" she asked looking at him in bewilderment. "A bit. I don' know much 'bout what happened afta da well, but I be learning. I read more 'bout where ya damn tings came from. If I be training as a druid soon, I want ta be smart an valuable. I wan ta heal da land an know why it be like dat in da first place." He sighed.

"Why didn't you just start off as a druid in the first place?" she asked. "I be young when I started me trainin. I didn' know about da orcs past, an I didn' know what I wanted. When I got olda, I chose to do dis because I hated seein nature die. An since da Circle is mutual, I figa it be a good place for me." Her brows furrowed. "How young are you anyways?" Laughing, he sighed, "I be twenty-five. I'm sorry I ain't be three hundred and twenty." Tilting her head to the side, she figured, "Well, you're physically my age."

"Not dat it matta much right?" he asked, smiling somewhat sadly at her. "Why do you say that?" she watched his eyes gently stare at her. "Ya keep sayin strange tings is all, love." He noted, clearly not wanting to talk about it. "Um... So... If you like history so much, why not try to become an archeologist?" Smiling, he shook his head. "Again, I wanna heal da land. But if dat means going ta ruins, I get ta do both." She like that he smiled so much and was so optimistic about most things. Trolls, generically, weren't.

"Ya should do whatever makes ya happy, Ayysa." Zan stared at her with bright, laughing eyes. "If ya love stories, maybe ya should be da archeologist." She thought about some of their previous interactions and how she'd not understood the finer details. She'd always been too busy with warrior's work to learn every detail in a story, and perhaps that would change her perspective on some things. "I never really got a chance to learn much history... But I feel something in my heart that says I want to." She smiled.

It was true that something told her this was an honest interest; perhaps it was the thing she'd been looking for. "Is forty-nine years enough time to learn all the history this world has to offer?" she asked. "If it not, den I be in trouble." Zan laughed. She caught her breath as she realized her new lifespan was similar to his. "I didn't mean any offense..." she swept her silver eyes to the forest floor. His large hand touched the top of hers. "Ya neva need ta apologize ta dis troll." He smiled, reassuring her.

She felt something warm in her heart grow as she laid herself down for rest. "Thank you Zan. I think I have something to go off of now." As she lay there with only the moonlight revealing anything, she thought about what the two had discussed. Pondering, her mind envisioned her learning new stories and traveling all of Azeroth to find hidden truths. _For the last forty-nine years of my life... Could I possibly live like that?_ She wondered in a gentle and excited tone. Something about it seemed so enticing, and somehow she could see herself doing that. That night, for the first time in a while, the night elf fell asleep with a genuine smile on her face.

Dawn light blessed a new day when Ayysa woke up. Something was keeping her back warm, she realized, and something heavy was draped around her waist. It felt familiar somehow. Her eyes flickered open to face the trunk of the tree, but she could not identify what the feeling on her was as her tired state did not help. Finally looking down, she saw the large three fingered hand of the troll placed purposefully across her stomach. "Zan?" she whispered, but got no reply. _He must still be sleeping..._ Her pale cheeks flushed.

As she had done the previous morning, she tried to move away, but this time, Zan had a good grip on her. "Let go, you dumb troll." She desperately tried to wiggle out. Rolling slightly, Zan pulled her in close and held her near his chest; his tusks had just barely missed her in the process. "Zan!" She shook his shoulder, but the creature was clearly exhausted. Holding her close, she wasn't sure what to think of her current situation. "This is so embarrassing..." she sighed, but decided that at least he wasn't doing it consciously.

Looking up, she marveled at his tusks. "How do you creatures even hold those things up?" she wondered. For a few moments, she just stared. Slowly, she reached up to touch them. Gently stroking them, they felt almost like an animal's. "Dat feels weird." A whisper came from above. Turning over to stare at him, she saw his eyes were still closed and his breathing was still slow, and yet she was certain he'd spoken. Dipping his head closer to hers, she felt his tusk slip behind her head and down her shoulder while the other pushed against the other. To make the situation worse, his face had buried in her neck near her chest. "Please wake up." She awkwardly twisted her arm to tug his tusk, seeing as that had woken him up slightly before.

At her touch, his eyes slightly opened. They were still half closed in sleep, but she could see the coals of his eyes sink in their amber embrace. Staring at him nervously, his face moved slightly up to meet her gaze in tired confusion. "Ya not tell me ya liked me so much." He smiled tiredly as she punched him in the shoulder. "Get off me!" He sat up instantly and ran his hand through his hair. "It be ya fault. Who was da one insisting I sleep in da roots wit her?" he laughed. "That was so we didn't get caught! That wasn't an invitation to cuddle me!" she growled.

She couldn't help but feel surprised at his morning state; his hair was always messy, but he looked so much more peaceful when he was still tired. His eyes faced her and he raised a brow. "Ya hair has leafs in it." He laughed as he reached out his hand to help her. "I can take care of it myself!" she snarled, smacking his offer away. "Ya not wake up good." He shrugged and rubbed his eyes. "I'm nocturnal!" she crawled out of the roots before she had to see things grow more awkward. How could he keep such a composure in such a situation?

After she'd fixed her appearance, they moved up towards the road to avoid Silverwind Refuge. Still in his baggy clothes, she yawned and watched as the couple passed through the undergrowth. "Ya always a sleepy elf, I notice." She smiled as he rested his jaw on her head. Bopping his nose with her hand lightly she looked at the road farther ahead. "I'm nocturnal." She reminded him for the thousandth time.

"Aye, I suppose dat explain sometings, but not da bad attitude." Making a sour face, she noticed the charred land of Thunderpeak beside them. "The land here is so heavily damaged by elementals... Perhaps one day you will be able to help heal places like this." The heat from the fire felt hot against her face. Looking over to his left, his eyes carefully watched for any fire elementals as they passed. "Maybe." He nodded. "Do you doubt that you'll be a capable druid?" she asked, wondering if his confident demeanor would shake.

"Nay. I tink dat I'll be pretty good. I always had an adept ta learn fast." Sighing, and slightly annoyed, the night elf looked our at the still healthy parts of the forest. Her ears perked up as she heard something ruffle in the woods. "Zan..." she hissed, but knew the troll had heard it too. Snapping the reins, Pretty began to run at her fullest speed. "Halt!" a voice came from behind them. Looking over her shoulder and under his tusks, she could see two sentinels with their sabers rush after them. "They spotted us... They're probably from Raynewood..." Her eyes grew ride. "Dem cats be fast, but no fasta den a rapta." Zan's voice seemed to comfort her that Pretty would escape.

"Return our sister to us!" An elven voice called. "Ayysa Darkmoon! Confirm your presence!" the other called. "Call back ta dem." He panted. "What? Why?" He shook his head at her. "I be holdin ya hostage still. Ya need ta tell dem ya still alive or else tings get bad." While his eyes looked away from her and dead ahead on their path, Ayysa could see that there was something wrong. "Zan..." she hushed. "Do it! Don' be a damn fool!" he hissed.

"Ayysa Darkmoon!" The call came again. Something called for tears, but she pushed them back as she called, "Ayysa Darkmoon confirmed! I'm alive an unharmed!" Something whizzed past Zan's tusk. "Don't shoot!" she cried. Her heart began to beat at an unbelievable rate as her pursuers began to fire. "Disengage!" she twisted herself around as best as she could to face her sisters. The two seemed to obey her request, but they seemed relentless to give up on the chase. Zan saw them up towards a river. "We be running far ta long." He snickered as the raptor took a quick right into the forest.

Despite the new surroundings, Pretty was keeping a more than decent speed, one that was almost quickening. With only the saddle to hold onto, Ayysa was finding it too difficult to keep a firm grip as the terrain changed from smooth to bumpy. "Zan!" she warned as she lost her hold. With one strong hand, he grabbed her around the waist and held her still. "I be tellin ya dat I be protectin ya." He laughed. The sentinals seemed to not have any issues with their familiar land, or so Ayysa thought. "Maari!" she heard a shout from behind as one of the saber's tripped and fell. The other stopped to take care of their fallen sister, but lost the troll and his hostage in the process.

"You did it..." she said in amazement, although it was partially luck. He held on to her waist tightly and laughed, "Ya tink dat I be dat incapable? If I could not even take care of one lil elf, den why da hell would da Horde even wanna keep me?" She found herself smiling as well, but this time in amazement; even in fear of loosing his life, he smiled and laughed as though all was well.

The two stopped beside a river. Pretty, exhausted from her run, walked farther away from the path towards the river's end. "It be far, but it be best if we lay low for a while." He explained. "What do you mean a while?" she looked up at him as Pretty came to a hold by the lake. "Ya sistas will be lookin for ya now. Dey could track us down easily wit a klutz like Pretty." He scoffed as he hopped off and help her down. "I don' feel like givin ya up just yet. So we wait here for maybe a day or so and make sure ta cova our tracks carefully." He shrugged.

A whole day without travel meant a whole day free of distractions and the ability to think more about her future, Ayysa realized with a smiled. Sitting down beside the riverbed, she looked out at the lake in front of her with a smile. Taking off her boots, she put her feet in the water and felt the coolness of the water rush through her body. "Ya be smilin. Ya like bein wit dis handsome troll dat much?" he bent down beside her. Scooping up a handful of water, she turned to splash him in the face. And yet, she did not respond to his words, which he grabbed onto. Maybe, she thought silently, she did like being with the troll.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

"You have books?" she asked as the troll rummaged through one leather bag she'd not seen him open before. "Ya. A few. I took em wit me when I left da village. Ya don' know Zandari, but I can read dem ta ya." He shrugged pulling out three. Eagerly grabbing them, she smiled and felt their fabric cover. "Yes! I want to learn as much as I can." She had left all her books back in Darkshore, as Zan had captured her there. "Ya really would be a good archeologist." He mused as he rested against a tree trunk. Sitting beside him, he asked which of the three she wanted to start with.

"The one about the dark trolls." She said, holding a serious stare. "Ya people?" he smiled. "You said we changed because of the Well of Eternity. I knew that much, but I didn't know the whole story." Looking to his left, he thought for a moment. "Dis one talks a bit 'bout dem, but it ain't much love." She stared at him to signify that she didn't care if that was the case.

Sighing, he thumbed through a cover and found the old passage. "Dey dark trolls have neva belonged ta a nation. But in reality, no one really knows anyting about da damn creatas. From what I gada, we don' see enough of dem, so their numbas must be small. All dis says is dat dey derived from one race of troll. I tink dat might be da Zandali. Dey used ta live here in Ashenvale. But Hellscream killed dem. Some say one clan fought for Hyjal in da Third War. Das where der story ends. It seems only da night elves be da only ting left of em."

Sighing, Ayysa smiled. "Ya like da trolls?" he asked her curiously. "It'd be amazing. They used to be here. What's to say I couldn't find them? Maybe no one has seen them, but it'd be amazing to find even one tribe. If they're still out there, I want to meet them." She pondered. "It's because a group of them found the Well of Eternity that I'm a night elf. And because of them I lived this long." She smiled looking up. "I'm an elf now, but that doesn't mean you were wrong. If they hadn't found the well, I would have been a troll hundreds of years ago and not seen the light of this day." She smiled.

She turned to look at Zan and noticed him smile at her fondly. "I be glad." He started. "Why's that?" He smirked, pink hair falling in his eyes, but he refused to meet her gaze as he responded, "If ya people had neva existed, I would not have met ya." Resting her head against her propped up knee, she turned to him. "You haven't even known me that long." She smiled. "I spend too much time wit ya in da last few days. It be hard not ta grow fond of a pretty fool." He laughed.

"A fool?" she scoffed. "Ya not notice? Ya were yelling bout how ugly and feral we all are. Yet here ya be. If ya weren't my hostage, I say we be friends." He smiled. "So I'm not your friend?" she felt a ping of sadness hit her heart. His amber eyes swept the floor as though he were deciding something. "What is it?" she prompted. "Ya really still tinking about marrying dat wolf?" His eyes seemed lost in a mirage of some sort.

Her face contorted in wonder. "What's with the change in subject?" she asked. In one fast movement, the troll grabbed her with both hands and pulled her face up to his. He stared at her for a moment, her silver eyes completely unaware. Slowly he inched his face closer to hers, wanting more from the interaction. His tusks rested behind her head and lured her closer to him. Their noses touched and Zan pulled away. "I be forgettin myself."

Standing up, he grabbed his battle axe. "I'll go hunt. Ya stay here and sleep. Ya still have some daylight ta do dat." He laughed as he walked off, his usual tall figure now slouched like a normal troll. Left in a flurry of emotions, Ayysa watched after Zan with a pain in her heart. Did we almost kiss? She pondered in a frantic fury. Her cheeks deepened in color as she grabbed her face. N-no... You shouldn't kiss trolls! Especially if you might be getting married! And especially if you've only known them for not even a week!

But something in her heart throbbed in excitement and disappointment as the troll walked away. She decided to busy herself by making the beds. Once she was done, she sat near the water's edge and Pretty lay her head in her lap. Stroking the raptor's soft head, Ayysa thought about her emotions deeply. She noticed that she'd found out more about the troll then she'd ever known about Corey.

While her and Corey had spent almost a year in each other's company, she didn't even know the first thing about him. Sighing, she realized that it was sad to have agreed to the marriage at all. And Corey obviously had no idea about love nor what it entailed, as he'd been the one to make the proposal. She watched as a silver fish splashed in the river, eager to catch back up to it's school. Smiling, she thought about her brothers and sisters in Teldrassil. For the longest time, she'd gotten along with everyone and had lived a normal and almost generic life for a night elf. Ever since her curse, she'd been unable to initiate any sense of stability with her family and felt as though they were too unnerved by her shortened lifespan.

Just like the fish, she was falling behind her school, and she did not know if she could ever catch up. Sighing, she looked at Pretty. "You've followed that idiot for how long now? Since you were an egg?" she giggled. The red raptor chirped happily at her. "You're lucky things were planned for you..." Forty-nine years suddenly seemed too long for the night elf.

A shout signaled her attention. Rushing into it's direction for a good five minutes, she came upon Zan being held by a shadethicket stone mover, his battle axe fallen from his hands and only mere feet away from the scene. Despite being in limited clothing with no armor, she knew he'd be no match for the creature if she didn't help. Grabbing the axe, she rushed up to wing at the preoccupied creature's legs. "Ayysa, get out of here!" He howled as the creature hung him by his feet. It's swamp-covered face turned it's attention to her as she continued to swing the axe.

Dropping the troll, it ran for her. Dropping the heavy axe, she made he way to run, Zan's pants not helping her by any means as they constantly threatened to fall. Finally, one of the pant's legs tripped her and she fell to the ground. The creature reached out to grab her, but a furious howl paused it as Zan jumped onto it's back, axe in hand, as he swiftly chopped it's head in half. The monstrous body, however, still began to fall into her path, threatening to crush her. "Ayysa!" he screamed, his eyes desperately locking onto her terrified features. He saw a flash of warrior's determinacy as she swiftly moved out of the way.

Tumbling off the giant, he opened his eyes a few moments after the impact. Dust had riddled the air, but his amber eyes instantly searched for the night elf. "Ayysa!" he called. "I'm okay!" He saw her rush through as the dust began to settle. Skidding into the ground she sat on her knees beside the fallen troll. "Are you injured?" she asked in a state of bewilderment. He didn't answer her question as he sat up close and pulled her close to him. His tusks pressed against her neck as his forehead touched hers. She reached out, nervously placing her hand on his chest. His eyes were closed, but as he opened them, he stared at her with a molted gaze. She'd never seen the confident man so lost.

Caressing her face in both his hands he pulled her in close as he had earlier that day. "Ya can't scare me like dat." He hissed. "You were going to die!" she defended, her fangs slightly showing. Their noses brushed past each other, and the gap between them was almost closed as the two stared into each other's half-closed eyes. The troll closed his eyes and bit his bottom lip. "I cannot do dis to ya." He sighed, pulling away. "We leave now." He pulled her to her feet. For the second time that day, she was certain he was about kiss her.

"What do you mean?" she pondered at his first statement. "Notin. We need ta get ta Moonglade." He shrugged her statement off. "But what about staying here for a day or two?" she asked. "Not smart. We hafta move now." He began to walk towards Pretty. She was saw that the sun was going down and knew that their camp was already set for them to stay, but something told her that the troll would pack it up once they got back.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Ayysa didn't like traveling at night, despite her nocturnal instincts calling for it. She'd felt groggy from her unstable sleep schedule and tried her best not to fall asleep. Zan, on the other hand, sat tall and stayed perfectly awake throughout the night. He shook her shoulder lightly to awaken her from her dozing. "We be at Felwood." He told her. "Will you keep going?" she asked. "Aye."

"Then don't wake me up." She snapped as she rested her head against his chest and dozing back into a light slumber. She heard him sigh in frustration and knew that the two had not been on good terms since they'd taken down the swamp monster together. Ayysa felt a confusion in her heart; she was unsure if she felt something for the troll and if she did, she was unsure of how to handle it. Now she found herself angry at him entirely, and he, more frustrated, with her.

Perhaps she could have handled the situation if they ignored each other or acted as they normally did, but Zan had been indecisive of how to treat her. Every time he talked to her, it was one random thing after the next. What followed was awkward silence. Ayysa had decided that if Zan would not decide on a line of communication, she would. She deferred back to her default attitude, and refused to talk to the troll at all, and when they did speak, she was quick to dismiss him.

But now that they entered Felwood, she found her slumber slightly deterred. Grunting in frustration, she gave up and slouched on the saddle, rubbing her head. "Ya have a tough time sleeping love?" he asked her. "Well, I don't think I would if someone had just let me sleep. This place is teeming with fel magic and disgusting creatures. But I suppose being one yourself, you wouldn't understand." The harshness of her words made her heart crumble, and the small beat of silence told her that it'd had some sort of impact on Zan, but he simply laughed it off.

"I suppose ya be right. Ya belong in a beautiful forest like Ashenvale. I tink dis place suits me more." Her heart fell heavily at his words; was he punishing himself for something? Guilt grew in her chest for a few moments, and finally she hissed out, "I didn't mean it." Angry tears were slightly building in her eyes as she tried to ignore the presence behind her. "I know ya didn'." He patted her shoulder. "Are you just nice to me because I'm pretty?" she asked. "Nay. Ya could be an ogre an I still would find ya beautiful. But I don' have it in me heart ta be mean ta women."

"But it's not me?" she asked. "What ya gettin at?" She tried to wipe the tears away. "You're just nice to me as a default. It's not that it's me, is it?" she asked more clearly. She couldn't see his face nor the face he'd be making, and she was confused as to what his emotions could possibly be. But Zan did not answer her question, and pressured the raptor forward. "Ya be tired, love." He hushed.

The two stayed on the path and did not falter for quite some time. There weren't many people on the road, not surprisingly, and both Horde and Alliance members could be found in the disgusting woodland. They'd merely be passerby's so long as no one caught them. After crossing the first river of green sludge, the two stopped and allowed the tired raptor a break. It was too dark in the forest, Ayysa could not tell if it was morning or night. Grabbing his pouch of fresh water, he offered it to her. "Don' die on me now." He smiled, but something was different about it now.

Drinking, she sat leaned against a tree and wobbled slightly. "Ya sick?" he asked her. "No. I haven't walked in some time and our last meal was too long ago. Not to mention I haven't received proper sleep." Trying to hold her own, she looked at the road ahead. "How long do you think it will take us?" she asked. "Anoda day." He estimated as he followed her metal gaze. "Ayysa." He called her suddenly. "Back at da lake... Dat not be about ya. Dat be about me."

"What do you mean?" she asked, although she was sure she would not like the answer. "I tink ya need ta make up ya mind about ya life soon." He said, which only confused her more. The two stood in silence, neither looking at each other. "It be too dangerous here ta sleep, but we can nap before we continue." He explained as Pretty curled up to sleep. The two sat against the tree and Ayysa found it difficult to get comfortable against the dead bark.

Draping his arm over her shoulders, he pulled her head in close to his chest. "Sleep here." He said in his heavy accent. She was too tired and weak to argue, and decided that if he were allowed to toy with her emotions in such a manner, she was allowed to play back. Hugging him around his waist, she was more than sure his eyes had grown wide. "It's comfortable." She excused herself and held on tight. "Yah..." Zan agreed with a smile.

The demons scared her awake. From afar, she could hear their relentless laughing. "It be fine, none are aroun here." Zan calmed her, resting her head back on his chest. "How long have you been awake?" she asked. "An hour or so. We slept most da day. Don' matta doe." He shrugged. "You waited for me to wake up?" she asked him warily. "Aye... Ya were a little too weak. Ya needed sleep. But, I cannot feed ya here. Too much corruption." She nodded in agreement. "We should get to da boarder by sunrise if we leave now." Her brows furrowed as she realized something. "Don't we have to go through Timbermaw Hold? Do you have relations?" she would be surprised if the answer was yes.

"I did work for dem a while ago. Dey owe me da favor. Once I'm a druid, I not be needin da passage anyways." He shrugged. She nodded, remembering that the druids main city was within the Moonglade and that it was unnecessary for them to have to use the Timbermaw passage. After they were on their way again, Ayysa found herself feeling slightly better now that she'd slept properly. "I've always wanted to see Moonglade." She smiled. "Ya neva been der?"

"No." she shook her head. "I'm a warrior, remember?" she sighed. He nodded as he remembered and continued to lead them down the darkened road. The two rode in silence, but Ayysa was in a talkative conversation with herself. She contemplated what would happen once they arrived in Moonglade and whether or not she should truly marry Corey. "So you don't plan to stay there right away?" she asked Zan.

"Nay. It be a problem if I did. Tauren really distrust me kind. It's best if I leave for a while." He shrugged. "But you could start your life off right away. I mean, sure there may be hostilities, but if you don't try to convince them you're worth it then when will you get your chance?" she asked him. "Ya know what ya be askin doe, right?"

She shook her head after a few moments of confusion. "Ya be askin me tah stop holdin ya captive. If I did dat, I would not need da money." Looking at her hands that were draped in his shirt, she smiled. "Then drop me off at the latest convenience." His hand ruffled her white locks. "It will neva be convenient." He smirked. She smiled and rested her head on Pretty's neck as she looked out onto the rotting landscape. Something about making peace with him made her happy. And she could only hope that soon they would be out of the corrupted land and somewhere better.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

The Timbermaw had remembered their troll friend and had lead the duo through, despite Ayysa being a stranger. She was tired, as she was sure sunrise was already appearing outside, but she pushed away her slumbering needs to marvel at the gorgeous den the tribe had made. "It's amazing..." she gawked as Pretty strutted through the long den with purpose. "Ya not see anyting yet, love. Moonglade will take ya breath away."

A bright light appeared at the end of the deepest tunnel, and Ayysa knew that they'd arrived at Moonglade. The whole landscape was surrounded in a gorgeous teal mist that left the landscape to look as though it'd been draped in moonlight. The greenery was unlike anything she'd seen before. It slightly reminded her of home, and yet it was so new. The two had made it to the main road when something ran into Pretty. "I am so sorry!" a voice squeaked. Looking to their sides, a young woman stood before them, rolled up scrolls in her arms.

Ayysa's eyes lit up as she stared at the girl; she was much shorter then Ayysa had expected, and at first she'd thought her to be human, but now that she looked closer at the young girl, she could have been elven. Looking up at them, she smiled kindly. She was about the size of a human, but her ears were a little longer and pointed at the ends; although they were not the length of a night elf's. Her skin was a light purple tone, but her eyes were a deep copper, rather than a traditional night elf's eyes. She had long black hair with purple streaks going through it. Laughing nervously, she could tell that Ayysa had been gawking. "I... um... I'm a half-elf." She smiled.

"I'm sorry!" Ayysa blushed embarrassingly. "I-I didn't mean to gawk! I just have never-"

"It's fine!" the girl cut her off with a happy tone. Ayysa also noticed that the girl had not reacted to Zan in any manner. He'd clearly been in slight shock himself, for he'd been quiet during the whole interaction. After a few moments of silence, the girl rearranged the scrolls in her hands and moved to free one. Extending it between the two companions, she chirped, "My name is Yleleae Taylors! You can call me Lea!" Both put their hands in hers at the same time to create an awkward gesture.

"Zan'Zan."

"Ayysa Darkmoon."

Both had given her their names without a thought; she'd brought too large a shock to them. "Ah! It is wonderful to meet you!" she smiled. "What brings you here to Moonglade?" she asked, drawing her hand back to help her cradle the excessive amounts of scrolls. "I'm 'ere ta try an be part of da Cenarion Circle." Zan spoke up before Ayysa could think of a good excuse. The girl seemed to get extraordinarily excited at his words. "That is wonderful! There are not many trolls here." She pondered her own words for a second.

No one spoke for another moment or so. "I know!" Yleleae piped up. "Would you like to join me? My auntie and uncle are good friends of theirs. Perhaps they could put in a good word for you!" Her excitement was hard to crush, and Ayysa found herself nodding in amazement; she wanted to learn more about the girl and her family. "W-wait." Zan thought for a moment, but Ayysa nudged him. "We'd love to!"

They followed the half-elven girl through rugged land that had no roads. "Dis be da opposite way from da druid's city." Zan called to her as she bounded forward. "Yeah, auntie doesn't appreciate visitors that are just going to be rude. She likes to stay away from distractions, especially since she had my cousin Laami." Ayysa could not seem to contain her fascination. "Pardon me, but is she..." she trailed off, unsure of how to ask properly.

"She's half orc." Lea turned to smile at the two on the raptor. Ayysa's eyes couldn't help but widen; she wanted to see this child more than anything. "If you must know, my family is rather strange. I am half human, half night elf. I'm marrying a dwarf in the spring. His name is Hjoldus Goldfury. My auntie, Hyleana Starfall, is married to my uncle, Grothos. He's an orc." She shrugged as though their family were a simple thing. "We're living proof that half creatures exist. My father was of the navy, but once I was born he started to dabble in becoming a mage. He and mother live in Stormwind, where I was born and raised. She's a very skilled druid though, so she comes here every once and a while. But! I decided to stay here and help auntie with her work. My uncle is a messanger for the Earthen Ring and often travels between here and the Outlands for work." She explained proudly.

"Since he's gone a lot, auntie needs help more than anything. And since she had Laami it's been one thing after the next. When we get there, maybe I'll have time to tell you some tales from our travels together. We work primarily to help rebalance the land, but this was mostly the cost so that my auntie could live with my uncle in peace. He was raised by the Earthen Ring, so his ideals are very different than a normal orc. And yet he's often regarded as a Horde member. I suppose you can understand why she chose to live in seclusion." What the young woman did not know was that Ayysa understood it more then intended; she thought of how Zan wanted to shed his Horde ideals and work for the Cenarion Circle in order to help the land. Perhaps this Grothos character could help him on that path.

"I'm sorry that I pried." Ayysa apologized. "I suppose you could say it was just a shock." Lea tilted her dark head back and looked up at the sky with a look of pure bliss. "I don't mind. I've grown up in this family and I love them dearly. Honestly, you don't see a lot of half races, so it's difficult for many to grasp the idea. When I was born, a few years back, my mother was scared. People tend to abandon or look down on children like me. But in recent years, it appears as though the different factions are starting to accept us and find us useful. Hjoldus's uncle helps me advocate for a lot of stuff, believe it or not. Dwarves are one of the only races whom have never held strong opinions on children like me."

"So you advocate for the half children?" she asked, wondering more about the strange family. Giggling, the girl nodded. "I used to work as a speaker between my own two nationalities. Now, however, I speak for many. I hope that one day I might even have a child of Dwarven blood, if Elune blesses me." Ayysa was practically drooling on Pretty now; this was one story that she wanted to hear. It surprised her that not only did was this girl a half-breed, but she intentionally wanted a child of other mixed blood as well.

A small cottage appeared in front of them and the two dismounted and tied Pretty up to it's small wooden fence. "Auntie! Come here!" Lea called to her aunt. A young night elf with long teal hair appeared at the open door. Ayysa could not help but notice she was rather small for their race, and she could only imagine the strain that must have put on her throughout her long journeys. The woman's silver eyes were intimidating, and Ayysa could tell that she was much older and wiser than her.

"You always bring people back..." the woman grumbled. A small cry could be heard from upstairs, and Hyleana vanished back into the house. "Laami is still very young..." Lea rubbed the back of her head apologetically. "It is fine!" Ayysa smiled. Zan, on the other hand, seemed slightly apprehensive about entering the home, but understood that no harm should come from them.

Lea led them inside to a very clean, two-story cottage. It's structures were very elven, however the walls surrounded the home as though it were a human's construction. Normally, Ayysa thought, there would be open walls and nature would be welcomed. But it was clear to her that this particular elf wanted a sense of privacy for her mixed family. "Mama! Papa said he'd be home today!" a small cry came from the next room. "And your father will be home, little Laami. Have patience." She hushed. "Lea brought guests, can you be kind?" she asked.

A small gasp told Ayysa that the child had grown either excited or nervous at the discovery of new people. The smaller elf appeared at the entrance to the left and smiled. "My apologies." She giggled. "My daughter is very attached to her father. He's on his way home from Nagrand." A small creature rushed around the corner and rushed into Zan's leg. Another small gasp came from her mouth as she looked up at the much taller man. Ayysa stared in amazement as she looked at the creature that was no taller than her knee. She had large silver eyes and red tinted skin; this was rare among the night elf race, however, if her father was a traditional orc she could have accessed this particular shade.

Her ears were long and she had very small bottom tusks. Her hair was long and black, outlining the face of an elven child with an orcish nose. "Laami!" her mother scolded. "I-I'm sorry..." The child could have passed off for a small troll child, if not for her nose, Ayysa thought with a giggle. "It be fine." Bending down, Zan got tried to reach the child's height. "'Ello, lil Laami." He reached out to shake her hand. Taking it, the little girl blushed heavily. "H-hello..." The child looked to her mother as though something were expected.

Ayysa felt a slight blush herself; Zan looked so natural with children. "Ya child be lovely." He smiled politely at Hyleana as he stood up. "Thank you!" she glowed at the compliment; Ayysa was sure that this woman had heard enough of the opposite. Laami rushed over to Ayysa's side and reached up to grab her hands. "I has a question!" she asked. "Oh?" Ayysa bent down and the child cupped her hand to her mouth in an attempt to whisper. "Is he your boyfriend?" she asked in a loud hush. Zan tried to cover his mouth in attempts to give the child privacy, but Hyleana held nothing back as her laugh filled the room.

Ayysa blushed slightly at the young girl's confusion and shook her head. "I'm afraid not, little one." The girl's silver eyes glowed like two moons as she stared Ayysa's face in wonderment. "But you're so pretty! Are you sure?" she asked. Laughing lightly, she nodded. "Thank you dear, but I'm sure he'll find a much prettier girl one day. Could it perhaps be the princess I am staring at?" she asked. The girls cheeks flushed at the compliment. "I-I am not a princess!" she grabbed her cheeks in embarrassment. "A queen then?" Ayysa pressed with a smile. "Elune surely blessed this family with such a living goddess!" The girl took both of her small hands, fingers extended, and placed them over Ayysa's mouth to silence her. "Shush! You're my friend!" the child smiled wide, her tusks even more noticeable. "Laami!" Hyleana hushed. Grabbing the child's hands, she smiled at the mother. "She is fine! I am more than honored to be her friend."

In another loud whisper, Laami added, "I'll make him my boyfriend, don't worry." Zan turned away, but Ayysa could see his shoulders shaking with uncontrollable laughter. Hyleana finally spoke. "My apologies for my daughter. It is solemn that we get visitors whom aren't family." As the group walked into the room, Laami held onto Ayysa's hand and stared longingly at Zan. It was in a small dining area that they met with Lea and a short dwarf with long black hair and a rather impressive beard. Unlike most dwarves, he had a smaller nose and sparkling brown eyes that shined at the guests when they arrived. "Ye must be the guests my dear was talkin' about!" he smiled a wide toothy grin.

"You must be Hjoldus." Ayysa smiled. Something about the cottage was warm and almost human like, although no humans seemed to reside here. "Please sit." Hyleana offered her table. As the two rested in the small wooden chairs, Laami crawled into Ayysa's lap and continued to keep a keen eye on Zan. Hyleana sighed and apologized yet again. "Laami! Want to go play outside?" her elder cousin offered. Her eyes widened as she removed herself and chased after her cousin.

"I know I shouldn't apologize so much... Laami is beloved by many here in Moonglade. But it's hard for her. We haven't seen any half children in her particular breed. To me, it makes her special. To others, rare. To her, an outcast." She sighed and turned to face her guests. Ayysa felt a heavy toll fall upon her when the woman looked at her; she may have had a smaller build, but the amount of knowledge and life the woman possessed made Ayysa feel slightly inferior. "Please." Hyleana offered. "Tell me of your travels."


	11. Chapter 10

**Hi everyone! I have not worked on these stories for years, so the writing is way behind where I used to be, but I just finished uploading what I had for Of War and now am going to upload most of what I have for Of Love so we can finish it off! I just have to finish uploading. If you like my stuff here, you should see what I'm doing now! Check out my company Black Moor Productions on my profile! Also, I'll probably be updating my profile once my new site launches; it's an online literary magazine for fantasy fiction! Check it out if you're interested and thank you for all your support!**

Chapter Ten

"Well, I suppose that explains the wardrobe." Hyleana smiled as she acknowledged Ayysa's overly large fashion choice. The two had decided it be best that she knew whom she was housing at the moment. "It would be different if you were hostile." She'd said to Zan. "But it seems you two are good friends. And your cause seems noble enough. I suppose you could say I'm keen to help both of you."

Ayysa had been surprised by her last words; she'd not spoken of her own troubles and felt as thought the elder elf had already seen right through her. While she felt nervous around the other woman, she recognized her as a good person and as helpful. "You can both use my spare room upstairs. Although I'm not so sure how my husband will react to a troll and another elf in the house!" she laughed to herself. "Grothos is a kind man. It'd do you good to speak to him." She offered Zan. "I may be slightly smaller, but my sister leaves some of her clothing her for when she comes to visit. You should be able to fit into it." Hyleana smiled at Ayysa.

"Ya mean ta tell me ya want ta house a damn kidnappa?" Zan laughed. "I'm saying, I don't mind housing two people who clearly need my guidance. And word has not gotten here about any recent kidnappings. Surprising, seeing as this is the chosen place." She shrugged. "But alas, I'll speak to the druids and try to keep good word with them. They don't have your face, so you should be fine."

Hyleana had shown them to their rooms and given them both bathing tools and clean clothing. "I'll be down in my study, and Lea has offered to make food for the night. You could do with a good night of rest." She smiled as she left. Perhaps she had not heard, or perhaps she had not believed them, but Ayysa was quick to see that there was only one bed in the room. "I be sleepin on da floor love." He laughed as he grabbed the extra clothing. "At least bath first!" she smacked him as he attempted to change his shirt.

Ayysa was now at the pond, not far from the cottage, and bathing herself with proper soap, something she hadn't done since Zan had captured her. Now that she was alone, she recalled how much more insane things had gotten since she'd arrived at Moonglade. She'd met the oddest family that seemed to repel traditional night elf culture, found half-racial children and was now stuck sharing the same bed as Zan, if she didn't fix the situation before nightfall.

"Ayysa, ya dressed?" called said troll. The mist was so heavy, neither would be able to see each other. "Not yet! Let me get out..." she called back. Drying herself off, her body felt relieved to be clean. "I be tryin dis soap for da first time." Zan laughed. "That's not what's really bothering you though, is it?" she asked. "Nay... How did ya know?" he asked. She smiled as she put on the elven dress that Hyleana had let her bother; it was of druidic style with blue fabric and green patterns with a gold finish intertwined.

"I just know." She assured him. "Dey be kind here. I like dis family a lot. Buh I be worried about da fada of dat child." He grunted. "Because he's an orc?" she wondered if Zan had always been this apprehensive about the leading Horde race. "Aye." The voice sounded nearer as she could finally make out Zan's figure. "Ya look beautiful in dat dress." He said once she came into his vision. Looking away, she smiled and pushed his trunks lightly. "You saw her mother's skin tone; it doesn't match. Her father is of the Earthen Ring, which means he is a mutual fraction, not to mention peaceful. She even advised you speak with him." Looking to him, she smiled. "I would not be so mistrusting of these people. Hyleana seems to be a very smart woman. She's most definitely older than I."

"Olda den ya? Dat makes sense." He laughed as he took off his shirt. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked. "She look smart!" he laughed and Ayysa pushed him into the pond. "Hope that soap washes off your bad sense of humor." She bared her fangs as she walked back towards the cottage. In the yard, Laami was playing with a large white frost saber. "Haru! Come here!" she called to the large cat. "My, my, is this your mother's saber?" she asked. The cat took a large yawn as she approached.

"Ayysa! This is Haru! Mommy has been on a lot of adventures with him." The child chirped. "Is that so?" Her small head nodding, she added, "But that was before I was born!" Laughing, Ayysa sat beside the child. "How old are you Laami?" The little girl looked at her hands and counted. "...Four! But mommy says I might grow slower..." she looked down on the ground. "That's because you're half night elf!" Ayysa remembered being a child; it'd been fun, but this one would probably have half of the time spent as a child. "Yeah! And mommy says one day I'll get my own saber and become a hunter, just like her!"

"Your mother is a hunter?" Ayysa had not grasped that by the woman's appearance. "Used to be." An older voice came from the mist. Lea appeared with her bright smile. "Her motto was to live for herself for a long time. But I guess when you have a family, things change." Her pervious attitude seemed to grow more serious, Ayysa thought. The half elf watched as her younger cousin began to chase the large saber once again. "You seem close to the troll. You can't blame Laami for thinking you're lovers." She snickered. "So you hear?" Ayysa laughed. Nodding, the smaller woman added, "Auntie told me some of your predicament. Betrothed to a worgen? An odd pairing." She shrugged and sat with her legs crossed in front of Ayysa.

"Stranger than a night elf and a troll?" she asked. "Ha! I suppose you have me there." The young girl tilted her head back and stared up at the misted treetops. "But I could have sworn you two were a couple when I ran into you. That's why I thought you might want to meet my auntie. I've seen a lot of interracial couples, and many seem disheartened. I wanted you to know that there is still a possibility and that it isn't as prominent as we make it out to be." Sighing deeply, she added, "But seeing as you're to marry a worgen, I'm sure you've already grasped that fact."

"You are not completely wrong." Ayysa started slowly. "I don't think I would have felt that a relationship could happen between Zan and I. But I think once I've seen your aunt and uncle together, I'll think differently about it..." Lea looked to her with a gentle smile and soft eyes. "By the way; your aunt only gave us one bed... Was that on purpose?" she added as an afterthought. Laughing, and back in her silly mood, Lea shook her head. "Don't ask me, I hardly understand my auntie. She normally has a reason though! Perhaps you should speak with her."

A gust of wind took them both by surprise and the bleat of a griphon stirred their attention. "Speaking of my uncle, it appears he's home!" she smiled. "Grothos has always been a kind man... You should prepare Zan. I am certain this is one person he'd not want to miss meeting." Her actions were counterproductive as she grabbed Ayysa's hand and dragged her through the back door of the cottage. Somewhere in the pit of her stomach, Ayysa found herself nervous to see the couple together; would she feel differently about her and Zan?


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

He was muscular with long black hair that was pulled back in a ponytail and large under tusks. "Daddy!" cried Laami as she rushed into her father's arms. The two exchanged words in Orcish that Ayysa did not understand. Zan, who'd come back as Lea was leading the night elf into the house, was at her side instantly. In her ear, he hushed, "Laami be tellin her fada dat she been a good lil one and dat she helped her moda take care o' da saber... He's tellin her dat if she keep up da good work she might be responsible enough for a saber of her own."

She smiled at the translation. Another excited sentence spewed from her mouth in Orcish and her father's eyes went wide, as well as Zan's. "What did she say?" she asked. The orc's eyes flickered over to where Ayysa and Zan stood. "S-she jus' went an told her fada she has a boyfriend." He stuttered. But the orc's harsh face lit up with a hearty smile as he laughed at his daughter's words. "So you are new guests? Welcome."

His accent was heavy, but Hyleana found it easy to understand his common. "Thank you for having us." Ayysa smiled, trying to not appear nervous. Hyleana entered the room and stared at her husband as he held the small child in one muscular arm. "Welcome home." She sighed as she rested against the wall, her arms folded with a pleased smile on her face. Something hit Ayysa about the transaction; there was no rushing embrace or kiss, and yet the two looked more in love than anything in the world. Nothing physical had even transpired, but Ayysa could understand it as though it were written in Darnassian.

She thought of how if she and Corey were to truly marry, would she have anything such as this? Perhaps Lea had been right about speaking with Hyleana. A conversation may not hurt. The ex-hunter moved in front of her husband and ruffled their child's hair with a loving touch. "Perhaps you should let your father bathe and get ready for dinner." She coaxed the child into her own arms and looked at Grothos for a moment before continuing.

"Grothos, this is Zan and Ayysa. Zan wishes to be part of the Cenarion Circle. Perhaps you could help him prepare." She offered as she disappeared into the next room. "Ah! So you have an interest in being a druid? I cannot say I know much, but I have common interests. I am a shaman, but hopefully our areas of work will have us cross paths some day! After dinner, join me for ale and I'll put in a good word for you." He smiled and rested a heavy hand on Zan's shoulder.

Zan smiled and watched as the orc made his way to the upstairs room. "He does not seem so bad." She smiled at the troll. "Aye... But I still be wary." He warned as he walked back outside. Ayysa followed him, but the two ran back into Lea. "Jollie is going to take care of dinner." She laughed silently; the nickname obvious for her soon to be husband. "The last time I cooked... Well, Laami didn't speak to me for a month... Anyways, I wanted to share some stories with you and hear some of your own!" she smiled as she dragged the two out for a walk.

Dinner that night had been the best meal Ayysa had had since starting her journey. The family had been slightly rowdy as Laami could not contain herself around Hjoldus; the two acted as though they were the same age and Lea would butt in from time to time to join in their loud banter. Zan drank ale with Grothos as promised and the two seemed to be seeing who could hold their alcohol more, rather than speak of the Cenarion Circle. Hyleana watched the scene with knowing eyes and a soft smile, seeming content with her life. She was well composed, Ayysa thought as she stared at the elf in both amazement and admiration.

Once dinner was done, Hyleana's gaze fell on Ayysa. "Come walk with me for a moment." She offered. Hjoldus was putting Laami to bed while the others continued to drink their weight in ale. "They won't last long." Hyleana noted as they left through the back door. "I've beaten everyone in this house, so unless Zan has an amazing tolerance, you can bet you'll be helping him up the stairs." Ayysa, who was normally shy, felt much more nervous to even laugh at the older elf's jokes as they walked into the gorgeous scenery.

"I know of your companion, and your situation, yet I know nothing of you. Speak." She prompted with a kind and motherly smile. Ayysa sputtered, "T-there's not much to say..." Rolling her silver eyes, Hyleana asked, "How old are you dear?" Grasping at the purple ends of her hair, Ayysa responded nervously replied her age. "I'm twice your age! You make a woman feel so old. I am six hundred and twenty six." She smiled.

"Don't worry, I will not make you feel old for much longer..." Ayysa sighed. With Hyleana's inquisitive look, she felt no greater prompt and began to delve into the tale of her curse. "I see... A succubus with too much of Mannoroth's blood... I've never encountered such a case. But I could tell that there was something different about you. You seem more... Pressured I suppose."

"What makes you say that?" the younger elf asked. "Whenever your fiancé was brought up, you got tense as though it were a rushed decision." Frowning slightly, she admitted that Hyleana wasn't far off. "Don't get me wrong, sister... We've known each other for about a year. However, our time together did not consist of much communication and I know little of him, and he of me. To be honest, I question how I want to spend the rest of my life... Forty-nine years... I thought at first that it was so short, as you could understand... But now that Zan has made me question my decisions, I feel as though it is such a long time; especially when I know that it will be the last thing I do."

"Zan made you question your choices? In what way?" Her voice was soothing, as though it were honey on a sore throat. Surely, Ayysa had her own mother, but being communally raised meant that there was a slight lack of bond between parent and child unlike most other races. To hear someone care only for her in that moment made her feel special and warm. "Well... He said I should do something that I want to do for the rest of my days. I've pondered that. I love stories. That's why I wanted the immortality our race used to have, so that I could see the end of the war and really help our people.

"But he offered something I'd never thought of before. As a warrior, I never had much time to study our history. I've grown intrigued with out past and I want to learn more about it. Perhaps stories of the past will lead me to my own conclusion for the ending of this story. And I want to know more about the dark trolls; our ancestors. There is so much mystery behind them... I feel as though I want to be an archeologist... But I know that it will not happen if I marry Corey..."

"And why might that be?" Hyleana asked, understanding the younger elf's issues a bit better now. "Well... It is just that... I believe Corey is still more human than anything else, as most worgen are. He'll want a family and a home in Stormwind and all these other things... Things I'm not sure I'm ready for, or rather, not ready for if it's with him... Am I blind? Or is there a reason for this?" she couldn't understand why she'd felt the need to spill the contents of her heart out to Hyleana, but she felt that there was a small bond forming between the two of them and that if anyone were to understand her issue, it would be her.

She laughed in a musical tone, and looked at the elf. "It is not that you are blind, but rather that you do not know your companion as well as you'd hoped to. We night elves do not traditionally marry, so the concept is slightly overblown when some of us marry outsiders to our race. The honest truth is that it is just a ceremony to celebrate your choosing of a lifetime companion, and nothing more. Perhaps you feel more nervous about the wedding because it makes things seem so official, but consider this:

"If you do not know him all that well, then why bother marrying him? You could try to give him a chance and simply have a long engagement, but I get the sense that you're looking for reasons to end the relation. Not to mention, you want a promising career and feel as though this would hold you back from having one. This is a possibility, but rest assured, it is not always the case. I know that you can have both. And perhaps I've lost focus, being here in Moonglade for so long, but when you speak of Zan, you hold him in a higher regard."

The two had made it to the main lake that centered Moonglade. In awe, she stared at the night elf as though the elder woman had known her better than she'd even known herself. "I... I do not know how I feel... I've barely known him a week..." she admitted. "And yet in that one week... I've known more about him then I ever knew about Corey... It's strange and yet, I feel as though there is something... Perfect? No... It's not perfect..."

"Right." Hyleana plopped down on the ground and took off her sandals to dip her toes in the water. "Yeah... It's right..." Ayysa followed in suit. A gust of wind picked up the night elf's teal hair and brushed every strand out of her face as she looked onwards into the mist. Watching this, Ayysa suddenly recognized that Hyleana reminded her a lot of Zan in the way she carried herself. She was confident and silently passionate. It made Ayysa feel both admiration and envy.

"Would you allow me to tell you how my personal experience?" Hyleana offered, her eyes still not meeting the younger's. "O-of course!" Ayysa agreed, finally getting to here one of the most interesting tales, she was sure. But as the elder night elf began her tale, she was not sure she'd walked into the happiest of them. At first she'd loved a blood elf, whose sister threatened the affair by blackmailing him. Forced to split apart, a young draenei woman took care of Hyleana and the two fell in love deeply. But while Hyleana still pondered about the past, she'd failed to remember the future. When her blood elf lover returned, his sister slain the draenei in front of her night elf lover and forced Hyleana into slavery. From there, she met Grothos and the two escaped together.

"After Lorus Sunblade was killed, I not only felt that my late companion could rest, but that both Grothos and I could move forward. I miss Kazeleora, but I will not continue to shed tears. It is not something she would have condoned. I would have never imagined falling in love with an orc, or even falling in love at all, and yet here I am with a gorgeous family by my side. When I realized that I'd focused too much on my past, I thought that I should forget it in it's entirety, but that it fools work. Always learn and push forward.

"Ayysa, to me it sounds as though you're starting to get comfortable with your shortened lifespan. But it also seems as though you're concerned about what will make the next forty-nine years of your life meaningful. Look into your past; what would you want to change? What do you wish you'd known? And look into what could be a future. Do you have feelings for the troll? What prevents you from being with him?"

Ayysa considered her words carefully. "I don't know... I've always been told what to do and have always followed orders in hopes of protecting my people. Perhaps it is time to stop being so small-minded. I think I want to help the other races too, even if I do not have enough time to complete everything that I want to. And maybe that's the second thing; rather than taking orders, I'll decide things for myself... As for Zan... I do not know if I love him or not... It is too early for that... But I do know that I feel something for him.

"At first I thought that races could never mix together romantically, especially from two different factions... But I think my fear that your husband and you would change my mind became a reality almost instantly. I admit that I worried you'd give me hope for this possibility... But I think I am able to handle the truth. There is nothing that really stops me from being with Zan, other than my engagement... But... Can I really just do that to a man who could be waiting for me in Nighthaven? Is that fair?" Hyleana laid on her back and rested in the soft grass, looking up at the treetops she could hardly figure. "No. It's not fair to him. But that's only if you're thinking of it in the general perspective. Is it fair to him if you marry him and you find that you truly do not love him?"

Ayysa nodded as she began to understand the points that Hyleana was making. "I will think about this... Can I ask you a question?" She'd thought about it before, but now she'd grown nervous to even ask in a whisper. "Anything." Hyleana smiled at the elf. "You'll live much longer than your husband, and even your child... Why did you chose this? Won't it be hard?" Hyleana's eyes did not even waver and her response did not hesitate as she bravely explained, "Yes. It will be hard when my love leaves my side to join the dead. And when I lay my daughter to rest, I am sure that I will be carrying part of myself with me, if not all. But I've spoken to Grothos before on this matter, and he only need tell me once.

"I shall have a chance that he dreamed of. I will see our small family expand and grow for generations. For thousands of years, I will be here to help and guide the grandchildren of my grandchildren and so on. If I were to die merely to be with my husband, he would never forgive me. Lea tells me that this is a reason most say they won't love another race, but how pathetic! Love is not always about two people. Sometimes it is about other's as well. I will always have my younger sister, and I will always have family. With that, I think I can move on; widowed or not. I love my husband, and I shall cherish those I have with me now. But like I said, I shall not let the past dwindle in my future." She ended with a smile.

Ayysa felt her heart move suddenly. This, she realized, was not only a women who'd been through more than one tragic heartbreak and had once freed herself from slavery. She was a woman who would one day bury the children of her children while watching other's grow. She was brave, and Ayysa would never even be able to light a candle to her face. "Hyleana... I know it is random... But since you are no longer an active hunter, what do you do?"

"I study ruins." She smiled, accepting the change in subject.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

"Don't fall!" She'd been warned by Hyleana, but she'd not imagined that helping a drunken troll up the stairs would be as hard as it was. "Shhhh... Children be sleepin..." Zan said, half awake himself as he stumbled up the stairs. Behind her, she heard Hyleana dealing with Grothos. "I will leave you sleep here." The teal-haired beauty said. "What sort of lover would do that?" Grothos grunted in a slurred orc accent. "A smart one."

"Come on..." Ayysa tried not to laugh at the married couple's conversation, but rather focus on her own. Finally getting him on the second landing, she lead him into their room and dropped him on the bed. Silently, the troll was already asleep. "Well that solves that..." she sighed as she went to sit on the floor. She hadn't gone out to grab her sleeping mat, and now she felt no energy to do so. In Zandali, Zan asked her something in his sleep.

"I don't speak that." She sighed. "I told ya ta come here." The troll finally managed to select the proper language. Sitting on the side of the bed, she looked at him with a tired gaze. One eye opened slightly and glowed bright amber in the darkness. "Ya sleepin on da floor?" he asked her, his accent slightly worse from the excessive alcohol. "I suppose so." She shrugged, wanting to return to her corner.

Grabbing her by the waist, he pulled her into the bed and brought her to his chest. "Nay. Ya sleep here." Struggling slightly, she tried to pull away. "Zan, what are you doing?" she tried to be quiet, but the urge to yell was too much and she felt herself grow more embarrassed by the second as she realized that she'd kind of wanted this situation to occur. "Not da floor..." he began to doze off again, but his grip did not loosen. Tired and annoyed, she decided to wait out the situation; none of the combat skills she knew were worth using on a poor drunken troll.

In the darkness, she waited for what seemed like too long. His hold around her waist was too tight and his tusks finalized her cage. "Zan..." she sighed, never interacting with the nuisance side of him. "Ya so pretty..." he grumbled. "I know you tell me that a lot. All night elf women are pretty." She sighed, recalling that he'd not claimed her special back in the Felwood. She glared at the unpleasant memory; she could finally admit that she'd wanted him to call her beautiful because of who she was and not because he was naturally nice to females.

"Nay..." he hushed. "Ya different..." He tightened his grip slightly. "You didn't say I was before." She huffed angrily and wishing more than ever to get away. "I be shy... Ya supposed ta... Marry dat wolf... It not be fair ta ya..." That was the second time she'd heard him say that something was unfair to her. "What do you mean by that?" she asked, but a few moments of silence, she assumed he'd fallen asleep again. Frustrated, she kicked his leg lightly in hopes of waking him back up. "What do you mean it's not fair to me?"

A disgruntled snort told her that he'd awaken slightly. "I tink... Ya gon' marry da wolf... An Ol' Zan neva see ya again... I don'... Want dat..." he silently fell back into sleep and suddenly Ayysa caught why he thought it was unfair. Although she was embarrassed to admit it, and felt she could be wrong, she translated his words that perhaps he had feelings for her and felt she'd marry Corey anyways. And if she returned them, than it'd be unfair to her to be caught in between two men.

"Too late." She laughed to herself as she stared at the dark ceiling. She thought about it, in that moment; she could stay like this with Zan for as long as she wanted, or even for the rest of her forty-nine years, if she wasn't to marry Corey. The thought made her blush, which was something she'd done more on this journey than she'd ever done when she'd been with the worgen. _Perhaps I do not know what it is like to be in love, but I would like to learn... And I think that whatever love is... It's not with Corey..._ Smiling in the night, she knew what she was to do with her future.

When she opened her eyes again, morning's light had eerily made it's way through the window. Sitting up, she realized that Zan was not with her or anywhere in the room. Hastily fixing her appearance and rushing down stairs, she hoped to find him; a conversation needed to be had. "You're awake." Hyleana's voice was like honey when she addressed the younger elf. Turning to her, she gave her a wild look. "Where's Zan?" she asked.

Her arms were folded neatly over her chest and her eyes were even tempered as she smiled and explained that Grothos had taken him to Nighthaven. "They won't be gone long. He just wants to introduce him to some of the druids. Along with that, they're looking to see if Corey's there... Ayysa, it seems as though Zan is letting you go." She added hesitantly. "W-what do you mean?" she asked.

Hyleana began to explain that early in the morning, Zan had asked Hyleana to relay a message to Ayysa. He would become a druid right away and he would be letting her go from being a hostage. However, the elder night elf had decided it was best if Zan pretended that he'd not kidnapped Ayysa at all and that he pretend to be someone else entirely. "They don't know his name nor his face, so it shouldn't be a problem." The night elf shrugged. "I highly doubt the Circle would want an ex-kidnapper in their midst. It'd be for the best, although he seemed a little disgruntled by it."

Ayysa nodded in agreement and decided that she'd tell Corey she'd gotten away from her kidnapper, if he was even here. "If he is in Nighthaven, will they bring him here?" she asked. "Perhaps, although I cannot say for sure." Ayysa excused herself and went outside to clean herself and get ready for the day, feeling slightly nervous. "Let me get you a more fitting dress for the occasion." Hyleana smiled and disappeared. When she came back, she had a long white dress embroidered in silver with beaded straps and a heavy low-cut collar. "It's beautiful! I cannot wear that!" Ayysa said, lightly touching the dress. "Please, my sister never wears the things I buy her... I can't tell who's more of a pain, her or her daughter. Keep it." The night elf carefully folded the dress and placed it in the younger one's hands. "Consider it a gift between friends."

About a half an hour later, Ayysa found herself sitting in the mist beside the main lake, barefooted and in the gorgeous dress. "Ya could pass as da moon goddess if it wasn't for da purple in ya hair." Zan laughed sitting beside her. "You're back? How did you know I was here?" she asked. "Hyleana said ya had gone ta bathe, but when ya weren't at da pond I found ya here."

Smiling into his bright amber eyes, Ayysa suddenly felt her stomach squeeze at the thought of telling him anything. "Zan..." she started slowly, but was unsure if she was truly making the right decision. "Do you remember what you told me last night?" She could have sworn she saw something register in his eyes, but he shook his head with a laugh. "I be lucky ta rememba anyting afta how much I drank..." She refused to let him get away with that. "You do, don't you?" She felt herself grow hot with anger at the fact that he would even dare to try and lie to her. She needed the truth.

Looking out onto the lake, he sighed as though he was tired and couldn't particularly grasp the situation as well as he wanted to. "What is it ya want now love? Me ta tell ya I want ya ta stay? Me ta tell ya I don't want ta watch ya marry a man ya hardly know because I want ta be da one who gets ta know ya? Ta tell ya dat da day that swamp monsta tried ta kill ya, I almost lost somtin more den important? Or dat dis journey has been da closest ting ta love I eva had?" His eyes met her suddenly and her stared at her harshly.

"I don' tink ya love da wolf, but I do tink ya gonna marry him anyways. Ya dat kind of person. Ya won't back down and ya want ta be fair ta everyone. An I can't tell what ya want. Can ya tell me?" Her eyes were wide and she felt herself growing hot as she clenched her hands together. Never, in all her three hundred and twenty years, had Hyleana ever felt like this. "I-I don't know... I haven't known you long and yet I can recall more about you then I can about Corey... And then every time we're together we have-" "Ya be missin da point love." He cut her off and moved his face closer to hers; his tusks barley brushing her ears as he moved in close to her face. "Do ya wan' me or not?" The tips of their noses touched as both stared into each other's eyes with an intense emotion burning in between them. She took in the moment for a few seconds, and a few seconds too late.

He pulled away from her and got up. "We found da wolf waiting in da inn. He should be here soon." He said walking away. "Wait... You knew he was coming but you waited to put me here now?" she hissed with realization. "I tol' ya it not be fair!" he turned around with a roaring rage. "Ya tink I wanted dis? Nay! An yet, here we be, strugglin like fish in a net!" he hissed. "You didn't even let me respond!" she screamed. "An if ya had ya wouldn' pick me!"

"How do you know that!" she felt tears begin to roll down her face. Zan stopped right in his tracks, his eyes frozen at the scene. "Nah... Don' go cryin love..." he said in a silent voice as he moved to comfort her. Flinching away, she rushed past him and back towards the cottage. She stopped as the mist settled; Corey was out front of the house with Grothos and Hyleana. Tears in her eyes, he turned to her. "Ayysa!" he called and rushed to embrace her. She'd forgotten how much shorter he was, but she smiled as they held each other. "Why are you crying?" he asked in worry. "I'm just... So happy to see you." She lied, knowing that her decision would not defer from it's original state.


	14. Chapter 13

**Hi there friends! I'm considering making a Live Journal for all my fanfiction works so that I can also include art work and so much more! I'd still be posting the same stuff on here, but I'd have additional content for you on there as well. If you've favorited me as an author and you'd like to follow me on this little excursion, please say so in the comments! 3 Thank you 3**

Chapter Thirteen

Winterspring, she decided, was more than cold. After Corey had picked her up from the small cottage in the Moonglade, he'd explained to her that they had to leave immediately. In a rushed explanation, he told her that his orders were to be in Winterspring for work as soon as he'd found her. "When you weren't here, I thought you were dead!" he'd practically cried, his green eyes screaming with worry and exhaustion. They'd said goodbye and as they were leaving, she'd run into Zan for what she was certain was the last time she'd ever see him. "Good luck ta ya." He'd managed to smile and shake Corey's hand.

She'd felt tears in her eyes as she watched him go; he hadn't even looked at her. She felt an anger in her belly when Corey had whispered, "He's a weird thing. Trolls should never be trusted." He was right; their race was not known for their good graces, but she knew Zan and knew that he could be. They left for the nearby land on griphon and hadn't even stopped the flight as Everlook came into sight.

It was goblin ground, but it was mutual and Corey explained that it was the only place offering work. "I haven't bought a ring yet, I know... But this is how I'll pay for it." He'd promised on their way there. Smiling, Ayysa found nerves in her stomach as they rested in their room at the inn. There was only one bed, but Ayysa did not feel like sleeping on their first night.

She walked down into the kitchen and sat down at a seat; Corey's jacket was draped around her and her only sense of warmth. A small female goblin sashayed up to her and smiled. She had short black hair that flipped out to the sides and held her bangs together with a small pink clip the shape of a kitten. Her face was sweet and she had light green skin and bright yellow eyes that seemed to shimmer like gold. "Hey there honey! What can I get for you?" she asked in a sweet little voice. "Water, if you have any..." Ayysa smiled at the kind girl, but didn't feel happy enough to be genuine with her mood.

As she sat at the table, she moped for a few moments before the goblin girl was back. She sat down across from the night elf self-invited. Resting her small head in her hands, she stared at Ayysa with wide eyes. "Ya need to let it out!" she chirped. Looking up in confusion, Ayysa stared at the strange girl. "We all have hard times, but we gotta get through them! Sometimes, ya just gotta let everything out! My names Tibexie Fizzlepop by the way!" she smiled and held out her hand.

Ayysa took her hand and smiled, but found herself very confused at what was even going on. "Well, go on! Tell me what happened!" she smiled. "I'm going to marry someone I don't think I love... And the person I think I could love doesn't want anything to do with me..." She didn't feel like relaying her whole story, but it was clear that Tibexie didn't need it anyways. "Then don't marry him! It's pretty obvious. I know, I know." She waved her hand. "It's not easy to turn a fellow down, but if you want to be happy, ya can't just sit here and cry over the wrong person!

"Ya know, I've been lost for sometime. I got kidnapped a long time ago and once I escaped, I was super lost! I haven't been able to get in touch with my brother and I don't even know where to find him. But you know what I do? I move forward! I cried a lot when I was lost, but then I realized that I was crying over the wrong thing! I should have been crying over my brother missing me, cause I love him! I don't want him to be sad. But being lost was something I knew I could control. When I got to the nearest city, I headed out to Everlook and here I am waiting for the idiot! Get the picture?" she smiled.

Something about the goblin reminded Ayysa of Hyleana. _Keep moving forward..._ She smiled. "You're right... I don't think I can marry Corey..." she sighed. "That's the spirit honey!" The girl goblin chuckled. "But now I'm gonna have to charge you for the therapy session." She winked.


	15. Chapter 14

**Hi all! Welcome to the last chapter! No really! Here's a few things: Of Love was written a while ago and both this fanfic and Of War have significance to how I was kind of growing at the time. So to honor that, I'm posting the original versions on here. I have decided to create a LiveJournal to re-post edited versions of these stories, however, as well as additional content on why I wrote them the way I did. Please come join! I am also in the process of trying to get an AO3 for those who have multiple accounts. Look forward to seeing everyone! .com**

 **Here's the thing; if you read Of War, you know these stories are connected. And my younger self made it so that there would be A CONTINUATION of this fanfic into the character's later years. So please give me a follow to keep up with the new stories I will be releasing; some already have their beginnings written, but most will be fresh material with my new writing style and progress. I will be posting the Afterword I wrote for this fanfic long ago and will put it as Completed so please check that out! I hope you guys enjoyed!**

Chapter Fourteen

"Honey, someone came asking for ya. She's sitting over at the table." Ayysa had been working alongside Tibexie at the inn as of late. Three months ago, after her short conversation with the small goblin, Ayysa realized that she could not marry Corey and had told him so. The worgen had been heartbroken, but told her that he'd leave. Since then, Ayysa had stayed in Everlook, unsure of how to proceed from there. Her new goblin friend had tried to convince her that going back to Moonglade would be a start, but she wasn't sure if Zan would even be there anymore.

She also didn't feel right going back after how they'd ended their last encounter. Now, Tibexie was pointing at a table not far down from where they were. Her eyes widened as she saw long teal hair dripping down a short night elf's back. "Hyleana!" she called as she sat down in front of the woman she'd grown to admire. "Ayysa!" Hyleana smiled widely and grabber her hands. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at home working on your archeology studies?" she asked in confusion.

"Hush, there's no reason I can't come to visit my friend." She smiled. "You know, Laami is still not talking to me. She was still asleep when you left, so she missed your goodbye." Laughing, the mother added, "She thinks I did something! You'll have to come talk to her." Ayysa thought of the small girl and laughed. "I feel bad making her feel abandoned..."

"Oh, she'll be fine. She's not the one who's feeling abandoned..." Hyleana sighed and gave the younger elf a knowing look. Ayysa didn't want to assume anything, so she remained quiet. "He is doing fine, you know. He works hard and the druids are starting to trust him more. Although, I worry for him; he's rather quiet and keeps to himself most the time." Running her hand through her hair, she watched Ayysa's actions carefully. "As long as he is happy." She sighed with a smile.

"We can argue that. But tell me why you're working here." Hyleana asked.

"I don't really know what to do with myself now that Corey and I aren't getting married." She chuckled darkly. "I guess you could say that I'm a little lost." Hyleana folded her hands neatly on the table and rested her chin on them. "You know, he told me that you were wondering about archeology. While I'm no expert on the labor aspect, I do know quite a bit and I'm going to start traveling to dig sites again. My friend Ryney and his wife Lymkin have been helping me plan for it for a while now. And while I wish I could help you with your personal life, what I do want to offer you is the chance to be my pupil."

Ayysa's silver eyes widened into large silver moons as she stared at the other night elf, unsure that she'd heard her right. "You mean you want me to travel with you? And learn more about our history?" she asked in a shocked whisper. "Not just our history, but the history of Azeroth in total. My hopes are that we can uncover a lot about the different races and perhaps we can even make it to the outlands if time permits."

She felt as though her face would never be able to move again. "I-I don't know what to say... This is such an honor..." Rolling her eyes, she took hold of Ayysa's hands once again, "No dear, this is not that big of a deal. Just say yes and go with me. Laami will be happy to have you around again." Now she froze for a different reason; Hyleana was not talking about Laami, but rather the troll. Would she now have an excuse to see him again?

"I..." No. She couldn't do that to him. "I'm sorry, Hyleana..." she sighed as she looked down at the ground and let go of the other woman's hands. "I just cannot make that decision right now..." she choked. "Well I cannot go home tonight, but please think about it. Ryney told me that we need more people before we can have a full expedition." The sound of something shattering came from behind Ayysa. Turning, she saw Tibexie's eyes widen as she stared at Hyleana. "What's wrong?" she asked her friend.

"Ryney Fizzlepop?" she asked. Hyleana's eyes widened as she nodded. "Is he still looking for his sister?" she asked, tears filling up in her eyes. "Yes..." Hyleana seemed confused but also amazed. "I'm here! You tell him I'm here in Everlook waiting!" She screamed, making countless heads turn to stare at the dramatic scene that was unfolding. "He's been looking for years... How are you here?"

"I've been here for a full year waiting! I-" she grabbed the cat-shaped barrette from her bangs and showed it to Hyleana as though she were proving her identity. "I kept this all this time! Just like he told me to!" she cried. "Please! Take me with you or send him here!" Ayysa stared in shock; in the last month, she hadn't seen her friend cry at all. But now she realized what a toll being away from her brother had put on her. "I... I think I'll be outside..." Ayysa excused herself, knowing that there was probably a lot that Hyleana and Tibexie had to talk about.

She pulled her warm furs close as she exited the city of Everlook and walked out into the snow-covered area. She came to a snow bank and spotted an odd blue cat. It had pink markings that seemed out of place and strangely formed tusks. It's amber eyes felt familiar as she stopped in her tracks to stare at the odd creature. "What sort of cat..." She took not of it's lynx-like ears and odd posture. It was staking closer to her.

She checked her pockets for a weapon, but failed to have one. "Great..." she knew she was too far away from town and unable to call for help. "It's not like it matters anyways..." she fell into the snow. "You look hungry... Just eat me. It's not like I had a long time to live anyways. And it's not like the rest of my life is going to work out. I just turned down my dream and what for? So that a man I want to love never has to see me again? And why should he? I'm pathetic...

"I make irrational choices and move too fast. And here I am crying over it... In front of a creature that can't even understand me. Just get rid of me. My only friend here? She's going to be leaving to reunite with her long lost brother soon. And with the woman who'd be a dream mentor for me! And I realize..." she sniffled as she cried. "That I'm the reason this is even happening... Maybe if I'd just been honest to myself... More open minded... Just more complacent... Things... Things wouldn't be this way... I made more than one big mistake..." she cried.

The creature tackled her to the ground and she shook as it's fangs barred at her; shivering in between it's two large paws. Closing her eyes in fear, she heard a strange sound and felt the weight of the animal change. "If ya honestly felt dat way, ya shoulda just said yes ta da oda elf an said yes ta me." She opened her eyes to find Zan on top of her. "Zan?" she asked. "I be a damned druid now love. Ya tink der are cats prowling around here dat look like me? Ya be weird." He brought his face close to hers and their nose touched gently. "Let me ask ya again... Do ya wanna be wit dis troll?"

Grabbing his tusks and pulling him into a deep kiss, she felt his smile on her lips. "Yes..." she breathed as she pulled away. Rolling them over in the snow, Zan brought her to lay on top of him. "Aye. I wanna be wit ya too love." He smiled as he gently pulled her face into another kiss. "It be too damn freezin..." he grumbled. "Then why do I feel so warm?" she asked.

Perhaps, she thought, it was okay not to know what love was exactly. But she knew one thing, she was going to follow a new dream of hers. One that not only included Zan, but also something she could spend her last forty-nine years doing. Nuzzling her head into his chest, she felt as though someone had given her a new dawn to look towards. _A new story..._


	16. Afterword

**Here is the Afterword I wrote long ago, as promised. Please take a read if you're interested. It was kind of weird to see my thoughts at the time, but I only did minor editing to this (grammar and it looks like I had stuff planned I didn't get to do). However, I did add my own commentary which is in bold so have fun watching me talk to myself! Thank you all for your support I hope to see you soon!**

 **Afterword**

I'm more than thrilled that I managed to complete this fanfic and have it completely ready. Although, it was finished before it's predecessor which is a little strange I have to admit! With that in mind, I will be doing an afterword for all the hidden things you can find in this fiction or find fascinating. I want to give special thanks to Sam for helping edit my story as well as doing all the conceptual art for the characters! I think we did really well with this project, and I'm very lucky to have someone like him! **[Fun Fact: this is an ex who I am no longer in contact with]** Also, thank you for those who've followed this fiction! I do not plan on continuing the series as of right now, however I do have some ideas for mini series in between that may or may not come out. **[That was a lie there's a lot of stuff in my files that say otherwise]**. Either way, I could not do it without the wonderful readers whom support me! :)

Onto more pressing matters: what is the difference between this story and the last? Of War was named with a much different purpose; it had more to do with the severity we often find ourselves in. While this may be fiction, there are always lessons that can apply to almost any person. While you can argue that this one was also a "war" situation, it had more of a tender feel to it than my previous work did. This leading to its title, Of Love. While the main character is another night elf, I hope it differed from the previous piece and that Ayysa is presented as a much different woman than Hyleana. Not to mention, out of all the long-living races, I feel like a night elf would be more devastated over losing their years than any other.

The reason I stuck with the same race of character was not out of popularity, however. In fact, this had more to do with me being unable to fit all of my curiosities and opinions into one fiction. I knew from the start that I would need to make a separate story if I wanted to allow all my opinions. This, however, would mean creating a completely different storyline with new characters entirely. However, **[you're using however again stop]** I can't ever refuse guest appearances from old characters nor can I stop them from influencing the storyline in a heavy manner; Hyleana really shoved her presence in here.

And besides, didn't you want to know what happened to them in the future? In Of War, I did not ever delve into specific factors that seem to be a theme in romantic World of Warcraft fan fictions. Age seems to be the biggest thing. Not that this factor would be a reality if the setting was real, but I think that there are other aspects we never really talk about. This was one of the reasons I made Ayysa cursed to live a shorter life. In terms of Hyleana's relationship, when you're married, in love, spend your life with another person, and you decide to have a family with them, the love you share is much greater because it now involves more people.

Granted, I don't completely understand this feeling as I am a starving college student with no life what so ever **[gurl we almost done but still starving]** , but I can tell that it's a truth from what many others say! **[Mmm, debatable but for some yes]**. And I didn't feel as though Hyleana outliving Grothos would be a major factor in their relationship, seeing as Grothos would want her to live on and watch their family grow and prosper. I felt that the conversation as to why I didn't insert the age factor in my previous fiction was best represented through Ayysa's conversation with her older friend.

And what about Yleleae, huh? :) Hope you guys liked the way she turned out! Yes, she's going to marry her Jollie. Honestly, they were inspired by Lord of the Rings couple, Tauriel and Kili! Fun fact that you probably already knew; the Tolkein universe inspired a lot of stuff in the World of Warcraft series. Ha... T.T **[oh look we're still meme trash, some things never change]**. Anyways, so yeah everyone here is kind of getting married by this point. **[Das gotta change lol]**.

Granted, I now have to talk about elven culture and how it could be prominent in this series. So yes, marriage is not traditionally a thing between night elves especially not with the other races. However, we have to keep in mind that Lea is actually a half-elf and she was raised in Stormwind with many other humans verses being raised by the night elves. Therefore, a wedding would simply be common place for her. Hjoldus, on the other hand, I feel bad about. I know that the Wildhammer dwarves marry all at once, although since he's not a Wildhammer, I was unable to recover sufficient knowledge on how the two would conduct the wedding.

As for why Grothos and Hyleana were married, well it should be fairly obvious. Hyleana and her sister both tend to stray from traditional night elven culture and this probably has to deal with their mother; who did not get a cameo this time around because I hate her. She'll come back one day though, don't you worry. As for whether or not she approves of her latest granddaughter, Laami, I mean if she didn't like Lea what makes you think she'd like the half-orc child?

While traditional values are prominent in the individual's lives in World of Warcraft, I find that, just as with the cultures and political affiliations of our world, there will always be people who stray from the values they had growing up. Which is why I don't believe that, by the time Ayysa finds herself in love with Zan, there is as much of a race factor in the game as we like to play.

I try to keep the stories a bit lore heavy, however I think it's important to add aspects of the game to it. World of Warcraft is well submersed in modern society and pop culture, so I think I often find NPCs that really embody the counter arguments to the lore's standing. I try to be somewhat light hearted, as the game's characters can sometimes be that way. But again, I don't think that with the way the game's society is right at this moment that a couple of mixed races would be an issue; although the Wiki's will say it's frowned upon. **[I actually run a blog now about WoW lore and how it can apply to theory; .com]**.

Laami was cute, was she not? She's going to be a beautiful young lady one day! :) Some argue that cross breeding in WoW is extremely difficult, and I simply don't agree. From what I've read and seen, it is not that it's difficult but rather that it is _unlikely_ , this meaning that the chances of the parents actually making the child probably won't happen. I mean, let's think about this, if we can have a bird/lion carry us from one place to the next, why can't there be half children?

Which is why I thought Laami was kind of a testament to that. I could see the possibility of there being half elves with almost every other race, but orcs is most defiantly last (or close to, I mean like... Taurens...). But that was I placed Laami in there as well as the note Hyleana drops about her being the only one of her kind and how it must feel. Cute Easter egg: Laami's name derives from the orcish name Olami, however I felt the O made it a little masculine. **[UmMm gurl why was this an issue?]** Since night elves tend to double the As in their names, as well as some other vowels, I added an extra one so that her name would have an elven feel to it while also being orcish!

On the subject of half breeding; my thought is that before there are half-human half-elven children, there should be half-troll half-elven children! The reason I like the pairing for trolls and night elves in particular is because of the lineage. I would say that this also accounts for both high elves and blood elves, but I feel as though their lineage is a little too strained between themselves and the jungle trolls. **[I found out later it's actually not but whatever I like all half-breeds].**

Technically speaking, the night elves are still trolls. As stated in the fiction, the night elves became elves simply because the Well of Eternity granted them the ability to shift and change. I've always wondered what the jungle trolls opinions were in that situation, so I created it. So if Ayysa and Zan ever have lil elf/troll babies it's way more likely than any other half breed because, genetics wise, they'd be similar. ;) Sweet troll/elf babies! **[LOL I did make this happen so wait for the new stories]**.

I thought that worgen and night elves could make a good match, as they are both children of Elune, but in the same respect, I wasn't as interested about it as I was with trolls. Because of this, I decided that the man she was deemed to marry was going to be a worgen, however she'd ultimately end up with a troll out of my fascination with this pairing.

While troll culture calls for darkness and voodoo, I don't think the history of the orcs would really appease some of them. This is why I made Zan a little less trusting of the horde. And, for those who didn't know, there are druid trolls in the Cenarion Circle, it's just very rare! :) But that's enough about gorgeous trolls.

Ayysa was supposed to show more of the conflict with current situations and how they tend to be simpler as well as recognizable when you think clearly. Whereas Hyleana's story was more about moving on from your past and how we often lose sight of a promising future (R.I.P Kazi), Ayysa shows how it's difficult in present situations. She also is more closed-minded than Hyleana, which showed the more promising aspects of growing to understand the different races, unlike some people who relapse into old habits (glad you're dead Lorus). Her last presentation was to show that sometimes we worry about a future when the truth is, it's tomorrow. There's only a need to think about it, but not to worry so heavily.

I hope you guys enjoyed reading this fiction and hopefully I carve out storylines that are good enough to come out as mini series. Thank you for reading my afterword and thank you for all your support! :)

–AnnoyingCat

 **As I said in the last chapter, I will probably have more stuff for you guys as this ^ gurl did have a lot. I will probably also post an Afterword for Of War on LiveJournal too. In the meantime, I encourage you to follow me and look at the work I do outside of fanfics! I appreciate you guys taking the time to read this and hope to see you soon!**


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